Disclaimer: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. I own nothing
Elliot woke gradually, startled that he was in his own room. He hadn't slept in here for some time – not since he had convinced Olivia to come and stay with him while she healed. A smile played over his features as he remembered. Olivia. Last night, the gorgeous woman who was currently still asleep in his arms had agreed to be his date. Not only had he done his best to treat her like a queen by taking her to dinner and a Broadway show, but she'd ultimately surprised him as well.
While it was true that they had been growing closer, he'd been holding back on taking things further in terms of physical intimacy. In addition to Olivia still needing the sling, she was still recovering from surgery. But when they had been leaving the theater, she had all but given him the green light to take things to the next level. As Elliot recalled what had happened when they got back to his apartment, he was helpless at the way his body reacted. Visions of the way she had looked when he saw her for the first time, how she had responded to his touch, her scent, – even her taste – were all flooding his memory. Even so, he tried his best to be discreet, and shifted his hips ever so slightly away from the woman lying next to him. However, he hadn't realized that she was already alert, and fully aware of everything going on.
"I can tell that someone is awake and ready to start the day."
Though Olivia's eyes were still closed, there was no mistaking the tone of her voice. Equal parts teasing and sensuous, Elliot relaxed immediately. It set the tone perfectly, and let him know exactly where her mind was at. Feeling completely at ease teasing her right back, he bent his head low to kiss her deeply. Stopping only when they were both in need of air, he finally remembered what it was he had wanted to say.
"I'll admit, I'm guilty as charged when it comes to being 'ready' as you say, but just who do you think is responsible for that?"
"Who, me?"
She was trying to look at him all wide eyed and innocent, like she didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about. Her mischievous grin gave her away. Meanwhile, as she snuggled closer against his chest, her knee was traveling up higher between his legs to rub against him suggestively. He bit back a groan and again tried to shift his hips away. Deciding that two could play her game, he skimmed his hand up underneath the tee shirt she was wearing to stroke her bare skin, tickling her ribs in the process. Olivia tossed her head back and let out a laugh that was so light and carefree, it was music to his ears.
"Yes, you. You're trying to seduce me, and you know it."
He silenced her with another kiss before she could respond, pushing his hand even further underneath her shirt until he was cupping her breast in his palm. Swiping his thumb over her already pebbled nipple, he accepted the moan of desire she exhaled into his own mouth.
Elliot broke away from the kiss, but only so he could attach his lips to the pulse point on Olivia's throat instead. He knew he was starting to get carried away, but was trying to exercise every possible restraint so that he wouldn't inadvertently hurt her. Currently, the arm with the sling was resting protectively against his chest, and he wanted to keep it that way. Even though he knew Olivia would welcome him rolling their bodies until he was on top of her, he struggled to keep them lying side by side.
He was so focused on trying to make her feel good, just as he had done the night before, that Elliot was unaware of Olivia's wandering hand as she brushed it against his bare chest. It was only when she dipped lower and her fingers began to stroke him through the material of his boxers that all rational thought momentarily ceased.
"Liv."
He grated out her name on an exhale of breath, his eyes closed and his head thrown back. It wasn't that he was objecting to her touch in the slightest, but he needed to be able to focus. With one arm wrapped around Olivia holding her against him, and the other still underneath her shirt caressing her breast, there was no way he could pull her hand away. Plus, he was afraid if he did so, it would send the wrong message entirely.
"Not that I'm not enjoying every part of being in this bed with you, Olivia, but I think maybe we should have a change of venue. I do believe you said something about not wanting to shower alone this morning?"
Olivia blinked a few times, trying to understand what he had just said. She was still lost in her haze of desire, enjoying the feel of Elliot's hands on her body once more. Not to mention relishing in the feel of finally being able to touch him – even if it was only through his boxers. At first, when she'd heard him speaking to her, she had thought he was putting a halt to their actions, and her heart had dropped. But, once she realized that he was merely reminding her of her proposal from the night before, her face brightened with a smile.
"I think a shower together will do us both good. In my case, I won't have to get clean in two separate places – you'll be right there with me to wash my hair. In your case, I think you'll probably appreciate having hot water for a change."
The grin she gave him was contagious, even though he swore revenge for the comment, and made every effort to get it. He started by tickling her once more, Olivia's laughter ringing out around them. Then he kissed her, but only on the tip of the nose, so as not to get distracted again.
"I'm going to run out to the kitchen real quick and grab your shampoo bottle from the sink. Then I'll meet you in the bathroom."
Olivia watched him go, then padded into the adjoining room. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she took note of her flushed cheeks and shining eyes. They were features she hadn't seen in herself in quite some time. All outward signs of her appearance indicated that she was happy – truly, genuinely, happy. She knew it wasn't solely the relationship that was responsible for her current status – never before in her life had she been dependent on a man to improve her mood – but it did have to do with having her best friend and partner back. The fact that best friend, partner, and boyfriend were all the same person? That was a reason to be happy.
When Elliot had returned to the bathroom, he stood in the doorway for a moment, quietly observing. Olivia was staring at herself in the mirror, but there was nothing about the action that screamed of vanity. If anything, it seemed to him she was looking for something within herself. Whatever it was, she must have liked what she saw. That is, until – he held his breath, hoping she wouldn't notice. Too late.
"Elliot Stabler! What is this?"
Apparently she was already aware of his presence, because her words had been deathly quiet. There was no mistaking the threatening tone of her voice though, and for a minute, he was truly frightened. His eyes had dropped down to the spot she was indicating on her neck, where he had accidentally marked her when he had been kissing her with fervor not long ago. It was only when his gaze trailed back up her face and he saw the humor dancing in her eyes as she smirked at him that he could breathe again.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Her voice was demanding, but carried no threat. Just like even though she had arched one eyebrow in a silent challenge, he could tell she was trying not to laugh. Knowing exactly what to say that would cause her to break her facade of mock anger, he matched her expression and deadpanned a reply.
"Um...oops?"
A few seconds of silence ticked by before he got a reaction. The air was thick with anticipation as the tension between them grew. Olivia involuntarily took a step closer, but Elliot held his ground.
"Oops? Oops! You are very lucky I don't have to be at work right now, Stabler! This better not happen again!"
"It won't, I promise. I'll just leave them where no one can see them next time."
That did it. The fire in her eyes flamed anew, and she moved closer, although he wasn't sure that was even possible. Her free hand came up and skimmed over his chest. Then, before he could even register what she was doing, Olivia leaned forward and pressed her open mouth over his breastbone. He inhaled sharply when she began to suckle softly. She didn't stop until she had marked him as effectively as he had marked her.
"Like that?"
Her words were a soft murmur, as she stood up on tiptoe to place another open mouthed kiss against his neck. Worried about her keeping her balance, his arms closed around her waist to steady her. Realizing that she had managed to distract him yet again, he set her back on her feet, then pivoted at the waist to turn on the water.
"Are you ready for your shower, Benson?."
"I thought you'd never ask."
After taking a few moments to properly adjust the temperature, Elliot moved toward Olivia. With his palms on her shoulders, he gently turned her until she was facing away from him, so he could unfasten the sling. He was just getting ready to turn her around a second time in order to slip the shirt over her head, when he realized that he had forgotten to bring them both in a change of clothes to wear after their shower. Before he could voice his concerns, it appeared that Olivia had read his mind.
"Don't worry about it, El. You can get them when we're done."
Silently agreeing with her, he nodded, then resumed carefully undressing her. When she was naked before him, for only the second time in less than twenty four hours, her beauty once again took his breath away. He had a feeling she would always have that effect on him, no matter what.
When they next made eye contact, he felt her hands settle around his hips, her fingers curling into the waistband of his boxers. Not wanting to discourage her again - but still worried of her accidentally doing too much, too soon - Elliot instead settled for another option. He rested his hands on top of Olivia's, so that they worked together to divest him of his only garment.
Once his boxers were discarded on the floor next to her tee shirt and underwear, Olivia took advantage of the opportunity to look her fill. Her eyes swept over Elliot's impressive physique. During the course of their partnership, there had been plenty of occasions that she had seen him bare-chested – whether it had been changing in the cribs, or in the precinct gym working out. This was, however, one of the first times she had been allowed to touch. He had restricted her so much last night out of concern for her well being, it barely counted.
Carefully lifting both hands, taking care not to lift them too high so that she'd be dissuaded, Olivia placed her palms flat against Elliot's chest. Skimming downward, her fingers danced nimbly over his skin, pausing briefly over the place where her mouth had marked him a few moments before. She swept her thumbs over his nipples, fully aware of the way his body was responding even more to her touch. He'd already been hard against her thigh when they'd woken this morning, and she doubted he'd ever been able to fully calm himself down. Now, her languid exploration would make certain that would never happen.
She had just swept her hands over his hips, and was about to venture further south to her intended destination when Elliot stilled her movements. Rather than stop her entirely, though, he had merely taken her hands in his. Leaning down to place a kiss on the side of her throat, he whispered in her ear.
"There's going to be plenty of time for that, Liv. We don't want the water to get cold."
Opening the glass door of the shower, Elliot stepped inside, before turning and offering her his hand to help her follow. Once the door was closed again, he situated them so Olivia was standing in front of him, ensuring she got the most benefit from the cascade raining down upon them. To his surprise, she didn't make the most of the warm water, but instead turned around so she was facing him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she stepped close enough that every inch of their bodies came in contact with one another. Elliot inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes. He was now more convinced than ever that this seductive woman was trying to kill him.
Knowing it was no use trying to control himself – or his body's reactions – any longer, Elliot instead focused his attention on Olivia. Gathering some of her body wash in the palm of his hand, he began to lather her skin. He washed her languidly, taking his time to explore every curve and feature. This was only the second time he'd been able to touch her so freely, and already it seemed as if his hands automatically molded around her like she was made for him. It made his traitorous mind consider other ways her body would mold around his, too, in far more intimate ways.
Reaching up for the detachable shower head, he carefully rinsed Olivia free of the suds, then put the nozzle back in its rightful place. Next, he grabbed her shampoo, taking the time to breathe in the scent that - along with the body wash he'd just used - belonged uniquely to his partner.
This was far from the first time he'd washed her hair since she'd come to stay with him, but it was certainly the first time sharing such close contact. He was standing so close to her now that his erection was nestled in the cleft of Olivia's ass. When he'd initially realized what was happening, Elliot had tried to move away, but it was Olivia's soft murmur of protest that compelled him to remain standing where he was.
Once her hair was clean and rinsed, Elliot reached for the bar of soap on the lower ledge. His mission was to wash himself as quickly as possible, then get Olivia out of here before the water could turn cold and she'd catch a chill. Not that he hadn't enjoyed every minute of this shared shower, but she still remained his number one priority.
"My turn."
Her turn? For a minute, Elliot wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. As much as he'd love to feel her hands on his back, chest, and shoulders, massaging his scalp – not to mention on his lower half – it simply wasn't possible. It was too far for her to reach without making her broken collarbone worse. She was very nearly healed. Apparently, though, Olivia had been thinking about this for a lot longer than he'd even realized.
When he felt her hands settle on his hips again, nudging him backwards, his steps only faltered slightly before he caught himself. He allowed her to move him until the backs of his legs hit the tile bench at the rear of the shower, and he fell into a seated position. This put him at the perfect height for Olivia to reach anywhere she liked on his body without straining herself. When he caught the anticipation in her eye, he swallowed audibly and felt himself twitch helplessly.
"Relax. It's my turn to take care of you."
Olivia's voice reached his ears in a low murmur, and he tried to keep his quiet groan to himself, even though there was no one else around to hear. Elliot sensed, rather than felt, the moment she took the bar of soap from his hand. Bending at the waist, her mouth met his. He tried to resist the urge to put his hands on her, but ultimately knew she wouldn't object, so he rested his palms on her hips, curving his fingers around to hold her.
Setting the soap to the side for the time being, Olivia instead reached for the shampoo. Squeezing a small amount out of the bottle she quickly built up a lather, then placed her hands on his head, tilting it forward as she did so. Elliot wasn't even certain at what point he began to register the feeling of her hands on his scalp, because he'd already forgotten how to breathe. That was because at the same time she'd adjusted his head so she could wash his hair, she'd purposely buried his face between her breasts. She had already positioned herself between his legs as he sat, having nudged them apart to make room so she could stand as close as possible.
As soon as she had finished with his hair, Olivia realized her one error – there was no way that she could reach the detachable shower head in order to rinse Elliot off. She hated to break the mood to ask him to get it, so she simply switched tactics. Knowing that there wasn't an excessive amount of shampoo in his hair, and likely wouldn't get in his eyes while she was washing his chest, she grabbed for the bar of soap. Trailing it over his body, she followed along with her other hand, using it to spread the suds. She paid special attention to his biceps and pecs – muscles that had fascinated her for a long time.
Once Elliot's torso, arms, and back were sufficiently lathered, Olivia took him by the hands and gently tugged until he was in a standing position. They hadn't spoken at all during this interaction, words not being necessary. Now though, he was looking at her with questions in his eyes.
"It's okay, El. I'm nowhere near done with you."
Her voice was sultry, and full of promise. As she spun them around, reversing their positions, and lightly shoved him until he was standing underneath the spray of the water, it finally dawned on him what she needed. Feeling like a fool for not thinking of it himself, Elliot rinsed off. Of course, there would have been no way for Olivia to do that for him, like he'd done for her. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he was completely distracted as he felt her wandering hands on his body once more. That's when her most recent words washed over him a second time.
The next thing Elliot felt was one of Olivia's hands wrapping around his length while the other cupped him softly. As she began a rhythm of alternately stroking and massaging, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his head on top of hers. She had only just begun to touch him, and already his breath was coming in short pants. He mentally berated himself for not having better control. The last thing he wanted to do now was embarrass himself. Then he heard her voice again, and all his worries evaporated.
"It's okay, El. Just focus on my touch. I didn't get to do this for you last night, let me take care of you now."
As though they were acting on their own impulses, he watched as his hands traveled upward from her waist to curve around her breasts, his thumbs stroking over her nipples. Before she could cry out, he bent his head to capture her mouth with his and catch her own gasp of pleasure. If she was so determined to make him fall over the edge, so be it, but he'd be damned if he was going to crash into the abyss alone.
With one hand still palming her breast, his other traveled lower. Using two fingers, he touched her intimately, earning him a throaty moan in response. Together, they continued to bring one another to the brink, until they shattered in each others arms.
As he gradually came back to reality, Elliot was aware of Olivia's head resting on his chest, and the now rapidly cooling water that was pelting against his back. Cupping her face in his palms, he kissed her once more, a sweet and tender benediction to the intimacy they had just shared. Then, reaching for the body wash a second time, he gently washed her clean from their collective release. Only when he was satisfied did he turn his attentions to taking care of himself.
Turning off the water, he reached out and grabbed a towel. Drying her briskly so she wouldn't catch a chill, he wrapped Olivia in a second one to keep her warm. That left him without one for himself, but he could have cared less. After a few moments, he snagged one out of the linen closet, swiped it perfunctorily over his body, then wrapped it around his waist.
Disappearing into the bedroom for a few moments, he returned with clothes for them both. They took their time getting dressed, Olivia still accepting Elliot's aid, and stealing plenty of kisses in between.
Hand in hand, they walked to the kitchen together. Rather than take her usual seat at the table, Olivia remained by Elliot's side as he started the coffee brewing. Standing beside him, she used her left hand to scratch his back lightly, resting her head against his shoulder. He turned his head toward her, pressing a light kiss against her temple.
"What's for breakfast today?"
Olivia asked the question softly, her fingernails still lightly raking over Elliot's spine. Tilting her face up, she accepted a kiss before he was able to actually answer her.
"You mean to tell me that you're actually eating without argument today? To what do I owe that honor?"
Though he was pretending to be shocked, there was no mistaking the teasing tone of his voice, or the grin on his face. Olivia stopped scratching his back long enough to smack him lightly on the ass with a laugh, loving the new dynamic between them.
"Well, we did expend a good deal of energy in the shower not long ago. It's only fair that you should help me replenish it."
With that statement, her laughter proved to be contagious. It seemed nothing could ruin the mood of sheer happiness both were currently engulfed in. Turning toward the fridge, Elliot was suddenly struck by an idea.
"What would you say to some waffles this morning? We're running low on groceries, so I don't have any bacon, but there are strawberries."
Olivia was about to stop him, insist that he not go to the trouble and fuss when she remembered – they still had the leftover waffles in the freezer that he had made the previous week. All that needed to be done was to reheat them in the toaster oven.
"You know I'll never say 'no' to your waffles. I only wish I could help out more."
Kissing her on the tip of the nose, Elliot nudged her in the direction of the table so she could sit.
"I know you do, and as soon as you're able, I look forward to having your help."
As Olivia sat at the table, Elliot's words were still ringing in her ears. She tried not to let her mind run away with her, and instead stay grounded in the moment. What had he meant by that? Once she was better, and actually able to help, wouldn't she be going back to her own apartment? A calm washed over her as she realized she didn't have to make any decisions right now. Plus, she remembered Elliot having said something to the effect that he wasn't going to let her leave until she had at least completed physical therapy, so this was going to be her home for the foreseeable future.
She had just returned her focus to the present when a cup of coffee and a plate appeared in front of her. To her delight, rather than sit across from her at the table, Elliot instead took the chair directly to her left. Sitting side by side, they ate their breakfast in companionable silence. Only when they were draining the last of their coffee did his voice break into the quiet.
"How would you like to go for a walk in the park today, Liv?"
She graced him with a smile, telling him all he needed to know. A walk sounded like a perfect plan. She was just about to suggest another idea for an activity they could do sometime when their phones chimed one right after the other. Since that was something that hadn't happened since before Olivia had been injured, both were equally curious. Glancing down at their respective displays, they shared a grin right after. Maureen had sent each of them a text, sharing the photos she had taken the night before. Accompanying it was a message, stating that she didn't want to disturb them too early, and she hoped that their night out together had been everything they had wanted. If only the young woman knew just how perfect the night – and morning after – really had been.