As they walked into Olivia's apartment a flash of lightning briefly lit the darkened room and their eyes met. The electricity seemed to be vibrating between them with a quiet intensity that was somehow competing with the turbulent weather outside.

"You wanted to talk?" Barba asked, suddenly feeling a little anxious. Getting this wrong was not even an option.

"We're soaked," Olivia smiled and combed her dripping hair back from her face with her fingers.

Barba glanced down at the puddle quickly forming around them, then looked back at her and smirked.

"I laundered some of your clothes from the weekend…" Olivia informed him.

Barba shook his head, "Yes, sorry...I don't know where my head was when I left."

He knew exactly where his head had been.

"No, it's fine. I just meant we could shower and change into warm clothes." Olivia laughed a little nervously and shook her head. "I meant that you could shower...then I could shower...after you've showered…" She tried to clarify. It seemed that lucid sentences were a real challenge right now.

Barba grinned and held her gaze, "You shower. Then I'll shower. Then we'll talk."

Her eyes sparkled with humor and for maybe the millionth time since they'd met he really wanted to kiss her.

But like every other occasion, so far, he didn't.

Olivia decided not to argue about going first in the shower, she knew that he would insist and that would be wasting time - it was already late.

Barba walked into the kitchen, then out to the hall to clean up the water on the floor. Then he walked back through and began to make some coffee, the charged atmosphere and shared looks making it impossible for his mind not to drift to Olivia...

...Olivia standing naked in her shower, water cascading down her body. He pictured her head tilting back as she rinsed her hair, the way her nipples would be hardened under the warm flow. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, as though closing his eyes would block out his imagination. He needed to get control of himself.

Ten minutes later, Olivia walked through wearing sweatpants. She hadn't reapplied her makeup, but she had made a point of pairing her pants with a flattering bra and fitted t-shirt. She felt she'd spent enough time feeling like a disaster in front of this man over the last week.

Barba looked up and smiled at her as she walked through towel drying her wavy hair.

"All yours…" She said warmly.

His breath caught at her words and he smiled in amusement, telling himself that of course, she was referring to the shower.

"What's that smile?" Olivia asked as she walked toward him.

The apartment was still only illuminated by the brightness of the city and the low glow from her kitchen lighting. She walked over, accepted the coffee he held out and took a sip. Her smile grew when he cast his eyes away. He looked almost bashful. ADA Rafael Barba, he of the big brass ago! They'd both come so far...

"Rafa…" she started and then decided not to push him right now, "…go get your shower, you're soaked and you'll make yourself ill."

He looked at her and smirked, "You're a bad influence, you know? I need to be up for court in less than 7hrs."

Olivia smiled softly, "I've left your clothes on my bed…and warm towels in the bathroom."

He nodded, then walked by her, their bodies passing mere inches apart and eyes locking for a brief moment.

As soon as he'd disappeared around the corner Olivia leaned back against the counter, let out a long breath and closed her eyes.

They both knew what this was now, this was life-changing.

Moments later she heard the sound of her shower and walked through to turn on the television. She needed to focus on something other than the unavoidable fact that right now Rafael was naked…and only meters away from where she was standing.

Barba walked back out into the living area after only 5mins and found Olivia sat on the sofa ostensibly watching television.

She reached to turn it off. "I…" she smiled at him as he sat, "…my mind needed a distraction."

He looked so soft and inviting…so warm.

"A distraction?" He asked.

"Mmmmm…" Olivia hummed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Barba asked softly, the atmosphere still felt electrically charged.

"I went for a drink with Fin," Olivia started.

"So easily replaced…" he lamented teasingly.

She rolled her eyes, "Never."

Barba licked his lips and tried not to focus on his heart hammering in his chest.

"We talked. Fin presented me with some stark home truths, Rafa. About you, about us...about what I really want and need from you..." Olivia began.

He nodded and then tilted his head, encouraging her to go on.

Rather than saying anymore, Olivia reached along the back of her couch and gave in to the temptation she had resisted earlier that day - she stroked the side of his face.

His breath caught and Olivia was sitting close enough to watch his pupils dilate.

"I'm consuming a ridiculous amount of mental energy trying not to touch you, Rafa…" Olivia admitted softly. "Every. Single. Day."

Barba swallowed heavily, "Please don't… God, I want you to touch me." His breathing had shallowed now and Olivia's gaze moved down from his expressive eyes to his slightly open mouth.

"I really do like the beard…" she smiled, moving forward a little.

"It's somewhere between stubble and beard right now..." He licked his lips and then asked what he really needed to know. "Y-you really think beards are sexy?"

"I think you're sexy," Olivia clarified, her hand stroking down his cheek and onto his neck, "...with or without a-"

Her words were cut off and her statement ended on a moan when his lips covered hers. She lay back as he moved forward, feeling fire flow through her body and her skin prickle with desire. Her hips arched toward him as his hand stroked down and gripped her waist almost desperately.

"God, Rafa…" Olivia gasped tearfully against his lips.

"'Livia…" He replied and brought his hand up to comb into her damp hair.

Both shuddered and then laughed breathlessly against each other's lips before their kisses deepened and hands began to explore.

After a few minutes, Olivia pulled back a little and he gazed at her before finally bringing his hand up to gently stroke a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

She smiled, leaning in to kiss a tear from his own cheek before slowly trailing her lips along his jaw.

"Mmmm, Liv…" he hummed softly.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered tearfully against his skin, "…for wasting so much time...with Ed...with everything."

He looked down at her with surprise in his eyes, shook his head and then leaned down to kiss her lips. "None of that matters," he assured, "…we've both made mistakes."

"I hurt you," she replied regretfully.

He shook his head. "Never consciously," he assured.

"I chose you, Rafa, even before I knew that being with you was a possibility…" She leaned into him and closed her eyes as his lips nibbled under her ear, "…actually no, it wasn't even a choice."

Barba pulled back and peered at her with intrigue.

Olivia grinned with a little embarrassment and dropped her forehead to his shoulder.

"Oh? Now you simply have to tell me…" he laughed and brought his hand to the back of her head.

She sat up a little, rolling her eyes at the memory. "The morning we broke up, we were in bed…"

Barba pulled a disgusted face, "Are we sure I need to hear this story?"

She laughed. "Nothing graphic, I swear," she assured and leaned in to kiss him...just because she could. "I woke up with Ed spooned behind me," she smiled when he winced and moved her hand down to link with his, "…I woke up, still half-asleep and…and I said your name."

His emotions quickly shuffled through shock, disbelief, humor and then joy. "Seriously?" He asked eventually with a broad smile.

"You don't have to look so self-satisfied," she laughed and then curled her leg around his hip, almost holding him in place.

"He must hate me," he smiled with amusement and she lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "What?" He asked still grinning.

"You might want to give him a wide birth for a while," Olivia conceded.

Barba rolled his eyes, he wasn't scared of Ed Tucker...not any more, and never again.

"Ed said you would never want me," Olivia recalled sadly, "...me or Noah. That I was fooling myself."

He sat up a little, shook his head adamantly and kissed her. "You and Noah are all I want, Liv. I would give up everything else for you tomorrow."

She lay back and he rested his head on her shoulder, just below her collarbone. "I've spent my entire life learning how to compromise..." she told him softly, "...but I've only ever been certain of three things."

"You should never have to compromise," he said and lifted his head to look into her eyes, "...you deserve everything."

Her hand came up to stroke into his hair, "I don't want to compromise anymore, Rafa. I have my work, my boy...and now I want you."

"I love you," he assured and stretched up to kiss her lips softly, "...if you really want me then I'm completely yours."

"God, me too…" she smiled and then said the words out loud, "…I'm so in love with you."

They kissed again, then he lay his head back down and they rested in reflective silence for several long minutes. The rain was still heavy outside, but her apartment had taken on a strangely calm and tranquil atmosphere.

Finally, Barba spoke again, "I have a confession…"

Olivia smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, "A confession?"

"I might also be a little in love with Odafin Tutuola," he grinned and turned his head to tug on her t-shirt playfully with his teeth.

She laughed, "Hell no, you're mine!"

Even as he chuckled Barba thought that sounded miraculous. "He sent you to me," he explained softly, "I will always be grateful to him for that."

"I was there on my own," Olivia assured him, "I just needed a push."

"If he gave me one extra night laying with you like this I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life," he assured happily. Then he smiled and added, "I've always suspected that Fin is frequently the smartest man in the room."

"Even when you're there?" Olivia inquired teasingly.

Barba shrugged, "I know the law, but I've been wanting to kiss you for almost as long as I've known you...so I could be described as a little slow on the uptake."

Olivia laughed and shook her head slowly, "Our time is now, Rafa, no more regrets about what could have been."

"I was going to make us toasted sandwiches..." He remembered after a few more minutes of peaceful silence.

"I don't care about food, I just want to hold you," Olivia replied contentedly.

"I love you," he answered happily.

"Stay?" She asked. "Stay here with me tonight?"

Barba smiled and closed his eyes, then reluctantly sat up. Olivia worried for a second that he was going to go, but then he pulled out his cell and looked at the time. "It's gone 11, I'd need to leave not long after 5 to allow enough time to go home and get ready for work?"

"Stay," she repeated quickly, basically willing to agree to anything right now if he remained in her arms.

Barba's mouth turned up into a crooked smile and he nodded. Then he swiped his fingers slickly across his phone to set his alarm before tossing it on the coffee table and laying back down in her arms.

They both intended on moving eventually, but they ended up falling asleep on Olivia's couch - cocooned happily in each other's arms.

TBC…

I need to take a few days, life is super busy, so this seemed like a nice place to leave them! The next chapter will be up on Wednesday :-)