Season Fifteen, Episode Fifteen: Comic Perversion

Brian walks into the apartment and immediately hears pots and dishes banging loudly against the counter. He furrows his brow and walks in further to see Olivia in the kitchen looking everything but happy.

"H-hey Liv. How was your day?" Brian asks hesitantly, and Olivia just picks her head up to glare at him.

She doesn't say anything as she continues to bang around the kitchen, and Brian sighs and sits down on the stool at the island across from her.

"So you're just not going to tell me what's bugging you?" Brian asks after several silent minutes, and Olivia sighs and looks up at him finally.

"Barba thinks I'm trying to prove myself with this case. That my ego is more important to me than justice as a new sergeant." Olivia sighs, and Brian's eyes widen.

"You don't think that's true, do you? You've never let an ego get in the way of your job. Not even when Stabler was there."

Olivia sighs and walks around to the other side of the island to sit next to Brian. "I just-maybe he has a point. Maybe it's a mistake pursuing this case. I mean Galloway is so much smarter than us."

Brian shakes his head and reaches out for Olivia's hands. "Look, for as long as I've known you you're never backed away from a tough case. No matter what. Barba just wants the conviction and he's scared he won't get it. Keep doing your job and everything will be alright."

Olivia smiles and leans forward to kiss him quickly.

"Now come on, how about we make some dinner?" Brian asks and Olivia giggles and nods as the two of them stand up and walk back into the kitchen.

XXX

"You took down his favorite comic."

"What?" Nick Amaro says nothing and Olivia just shakes her head. "Good night, Nick."

"Night."

As Nick walks out of her office, she hears her phone vibrating and when she sees the name on the screen, she swallows hard before pressing the red "End" button, not in the mood to talk.

Her phone had rung three more times between leaving her office and arriving at her apartment, and since she ignored it every time, she was not ready for what she was most likely about to walk into.

Olivia turns her key in the door and opens it, and when she walks in she sees Brian sitting on the couch looking incredibly stoic.

"Hey, Bri." She says as she takes her coat off and hangs it up, and Brian just glares over at her. "You're mad."

Brian rolls his eyes and nods. "Yeah, I'm mad. You're really going to ignore my calls and then act like everything is fine? Act like I shouldn't be mad?"

Olivia scoffs and shakes her head. "You had Google Alerts set for that guy! Maybe I didn't want to hear you blubber about us taking down your favorite rape comedian."

Brian rolls his eyes. "Come on, Liv, you just have it out for him because he called you out at a show."

"Brian, he's a rapist. You worked in SVU! Why are you sticking up for him?"

"Come on, Liv, he made jokes. It doesn't mean you have to ignore my calls." Brian stands up from the couch and groans.

"I wasn't ignoring you. I just-it was a long day."

Brian nods and heads over to the coatrack. "Yeah, I can tell. I'm gonna-I'm gonna go get some air." He spits before grabbing his coat and walking out of the door, leaving Olivia standing there stunned in a silent apartment.

She groans and turns on her heel, running her hands through her hair and storming down the hall into their bedroom.

XXX

Olivia was sleeping by the time Brian comes home, so he walks silently through the apartment to their bedroom at the end of the hall.

He changes and gets ready for bed quietly, and when he climbs into bed, Olivia stirs at the movement she feels next to her.

"Mmm…Bri?" she whispers hoarsely, and he smiles as she snuggles into him. "You came back."

Brian smiles and kisses the top of her head. "Of course I came back. I'm so sorry, Liv."

Olivia shakes her head and sits up to look at Brian. "No, no, I'm sorry. I could've returned your calls and I didn't. I was being petty." She leans forward to kiss him. "I'm sorry, Brian."

"I'm sorry too, Liv." He says as they kiss again before laying down and snuggling back into each other, falling asleep within seconds.

XXX