Barba woke several hours later in hospital, the sound of a heart monitor beeping steadily near his bed immediately told him where he was and reminded him of the day's events.
Experience had led him to assume that he would be waking up alone, until he flexed his hand and he felt fingers comfortably joined with his. He blinked his eyes and tried to focus in the bright unnatural light of his hospital room, then turned his head and winced at the pain in his neck.
There was a sudden movement and the scraping of a chair before something moved to block the blinding light. Then as his eyes focused he found himself looking up at the smiling face of Olivia Benson.
"Rafa...hi!" She gazed at him with affection and concern. "How are you feeling?"
He closed his eyes for a second at a wave of nausea that passed through his body and then forced himself to open them again to look at her face.
"Liv…" he croaked out, then coughed and winced in pain.
"Hey, hey…sweetheart, don't speak…not if it hurts…" she rushed to reassure him.
Barba tried to process Olivia calling him sweetheart and smiled a little in spite of his injuries.
"Do you want me to ask the doctors to give you something more for the pain?" She suggested, almost as though she could feel his pain herself.
"I feel okay…" Barba murmured roughly, "…don't want to sleep again yet."
Olivia laced her fingers with his, then stroked the other hand up his forearm reassuringly. Barba couldn't remember if anything had ever felt more wonderful…which considering how much pain he was in even he managed to find pretty ridiculous.
"Hey, what's so funny?" Olivia laughed softly, clearly surprised and amused by the humour that she could see in his eyes. "Or have they already given you the good stuff?"
Barba's mouth turned up in a half-smile and then he closed his eyes sleepily. "It's good to see you…" he replied simply.
Olivia smiled with amusement, "I think you are on the good stuff…" she joked affectionately and then ran her hand lightly down the side of his head, "…but I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to see you."
He smiled and opened his eyes again, "Noah?"
She turned and nodded towards the small boy sleeping on a couch in the corner of the room, "The nurses took pity on us and gave you a family room…it's been a long day."
Barba looked at him sleeping peacefully for a few seconds and then turned carefully back to meet Olivia's eyes. "Time is it?" He asked roughly.
Olivia looked at her watch, "A little after 11…" she told him gently and moved to perch on the side of his bed, turning so that she was bent over him and he didn't need to strain his voice.
"You can go…" Barba said softly.
"Trying to get rid of me?" She smiled, not taking offence.
"I mean, Noah…if you want to take him home…to sleep in his own bed…" he tried to explain, but every word obviously hurt.
Olivia reached out and touched her fingertips to his lips lightly, it was about the only part of his face that wasn't swollen or discolored. "I'm not ready to even think about leaving your side yet, Rafa…Noah is fine sleeping right where he is, he doesn't have school tomorrow."
A tear slipped down the side of Barba's beaten face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Olivia said with concern and brought her hand to rest on his chest.
"It's just…it really is good to see you…" he repeated.
Olivia smiled, her eyes welling a little with tears, "Yes, so you said." She brushed her fingers through his hair carefully, "I really wish that I could kiss you…"
Barba looked surprised and Olivia laughed.
"What?" She teased softly. "You thought that I told you I love you, but I'm looking for a chaste and celibate relationship?"
He smiled and licked his lips slowly.
"I've been thinking about getting my hands on you for a while, Rafa. Now that I finally know that I can I daren't touch you for fear that I might hurt you," she looked over him with a tearful yet amused smile, "...our timing really sucks, Barba."
He brought his hand up to her cheek and then ran his thumb gently over her lips. "You're just saying this…to torture me," he whispered softly.
Olivia smiled and shook her head slowly, her expression became more serious and then she pursed her lips against his thumb. "I'm saying this because I love you, Rafa. I am never going to forget what you did today...for me or for my son. You're…" She trailed off and closed her eyes, then opened them and looked at him firmly, "I adore you, Rafael Barba."
His breath caught and a couple more tears escaped over his temple.
Olivia leaned down and nuzzled against his shoulder, taking in a deep breath and luxuriating in his familiar scent before surprising him by moving to lay alongside him on the bed, resting her head carefully on his shoulder and her arm over his chest.
"I'm not sure…fraternisation...is allowed," he breathed out softly as he brought his arm around her waist.
Olivia closed her eyes and turned to kiss over his collarbone, "If they think they can cleave me from your side tonight they are more than welcome to try," she replied simply before closing her eyes in relief and exhaustion.
Several hours later, Noah woke and looked around the room dazedly before he remembered where he was. He sat up on the couch and looked over at his mommy and Uncle Rafa sound asleep on the hospital bed, he was glad that his mommy had found somewhere comfortable to rest.
He stood and walked over to pick up some sandwiches that mommy had left for him on a nearby table, then turned when he heard a light knock at the door. He looked over just as the door swung open slightly and then smiled when he saw Katie looking tentatively into the darkened room. He waved to attract her attention then she smiled at him and slipped inside. As she walked toward Noah she looked over and felt her heart lighten at the sight of Barba and Olivia sleeping peacefully on the bed.
"I'm glad to see you, Noah, I was so worried…" she glanced back over at the bed, "…about all of you."
Noah smiled, "Uncle Rafa has a very poorly face…but mommy says that he'll be okay again real soon...he is even coming home with us for a sleepover!"
Katie smiled widely and nodded, "That sounds great, Noah, I'm so happy for you all." She looked over at the sleeping couple and then back at the little boy. "I had no idea, Noah, absolutely no idea that Olivia was your mommy…she's a wonderful lady."
Noah smiled proudly, "She helps people."
"People like me, Noah…she helps people like me every single day," Katie confirmed with an affectionate smile, "…and your Uncle Rafa, you know that he was helping me too?"
Noah smiled, "Mommy says that Uncle Rafa is her partner - mommy and her friends catch the bad guys, then Uncle Rafa talks to the judge and makes sure that they never hurt anyone else ever again."
Katie nodded, "That's exactly what they do, Noah, they are all very special people."
"Mommy said that I helped her to save Uncle Rafa," Noah said with a proud smile.
"So I heard. You're a very brave boy, Noah," she replied sincerely.
"That man hurt you, and Uncle Rafa…" Noah said sadly.
"Well, he can't hurt anyone ever again, thanks to you and your mommy," Katie reassured. She reached into her bag and pulled out a book. "I called Mrs Glenister last night and asked her to bring this in for me…so that I could give it to you. I remembered that you needed a book for school? You don't need to worry about that for a while, but I thought when you're feeling up to it you might like to read this…" she held out the book.
"Fan-tas-tic-ly Great Wo-men Who Changed The World," Noah read out slowly and then smiled up at Katie.
"I think a young man like you, with a mommy like Olivia Benson, would enjoy this book very much," Katie explained. "There have been a lot of women all over the world, just like your mommy, who have helped to make the world a better place."
Noah looked at the book happily, "Is my mommy in the book?"
Katie smiled and shook her head, "Not right now, Noah…but I think maybe one day she might be."
When Barba woke a couple of hours later he could tell straight away that the drugs were starting to kick in and the swelling had begun to reduce.
A nurse walked in almost immediately and smirked at him, "We only give our heroes special treatment you know? Not everyone is allowed bedmates."
Barba smiled down at Olivia who was still sleeping curled against his side.
The nurse walked around and checked his drip then smiled at him and added, "Not that I was about to volunteer to ask her to move, you have quite a feisty one there."
He laughed softly and realised that the pain was nowhere near as bad as the night before, "Don't let Liv hear you call her that."
The nurse smiled kindly at her patient, "She hasn't left your side, you know? Or that little boy. You're a very lucky man, Mr Barba."
He swallowed hard and then winced a little at the pain before smiling and nodding, "God, I know…are we sure this isn't a really lucid coma dream?"
The nurse looked confused and Barba shook his head, silently telling her not to worry about it.
She nodded, "I spoke to the doctor earlier this morning, you're responding well and as you have homecare he's looking at getting you released today."
Barba looked confused, "Homecare?"
The nurse nodded at Olivia, "Your girlfriend filled out all of your forms, said that you would be going home with her and the little boy. Is that not correct?"
He was about to respond when Olivia stirred and curled into him a little, she licked her lips sleepily and then responded for him before she'd even opened her eyes. "He's coming home with me," she confirmed, "…I'm not taking my eyes off him."
The nurse laughed and turned to walk out of the room, "You heard the boss, Mr Barba!"
Olivia looked up at him as the door closed, "You'll come home with me and Noah then? At least for a few days?"
He nodded with a small smile, "That sounds perfect."
"I need you with me, Rafa. I can't…" she took a deep breath and then continued, "…right now I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to sleep again without hearing you safely breathing next to me."
"Liv…" Barba said softly, he looked down at Olivia and lifted his hand to comb his fingers through her hair, "How are you feeling?"
Olivia laughed softly and looked up at him, "How am I feeling?"
"Well, you know…after yesterday…" He clarified.
She sat up a little and looked down at him properly, "You're talking a little better, the swelling has definitely reduced."
"Liv…" Barba spoke firmly.
Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes, "How am I feeling?" She asked and he nodded.
She looked up at the ceiling for a second and then back into his eyes, "Well, let's see… an innocent man died, a psychopath held my son hostage, the man I love walked into the room to protect him, then I had to listen to him being beaten to a pulp with no way to get to him." She brushed some tears from her face. "…What else? My son handled his first weapon and then I took down the perpetrator within a couple of feet of his face…" she rolled her eyes and a couple more tears ran down her cheeks, "…but my son and the man I love are alive…and I found out that he loves me too…and he risked his life for my son…so…you know…an average Wednesday!" She laughed tearfully and leaned forward to rest her face against his shoulder. "How is this my life?" She asked into his shirt with a completely bewildered tone.
"Oh, Liv…" Barba whispered softly and ran his fingers into her hair.
"Tell me again…" she whispered against him and then pressed her lips to his neck gently, "…tell me again, Rafa, I need to hear it."
Barba waited until she'd lifted her head and looked at him. "I love you, Olivia Benson," he said with a smile and complete adoration, "...and I love your son. Furthermore, I'm going to strive every day to never allow you to doubt that again."
She scanned his face and then looked at his lips, "I know we can't have much real fun…at least for a while," she looked into his eyes and raised her eyebrows, "…but how do you feel about trying one little kiss?"
He smirked, "Yes?"
"Just, you know, a taste?" She bit the corner of her lip and then glanced down at his mouth again.
"A taste?" He smiled, "that sounds really nice…"
She leaned in and carefully rested her lips against his, barely moving them before swiping her tongue over his bottom lip with the lightness of a feather and then pulling back.
Barba smiled at her, "That felt really good."
"It didn't hurt?" She asked with concern.
"I can't wait for all the real fun," Barba deflected smoothly.
Olivia smiled and then laughed softly, "God, me too…"
"I must look horrendous though..." Barba said with a smile.
She laughed and stroked her hand down his neck, "Rafa, you look…absolutely wonderful."
TBC...