Barba was surprised to find that the door was slightly ajar when he arrived at Olivia's apartment. He pushed it open with his hip, closed it securely, then walked through carrying Noah in one arm and both of their bags over his other shoulder.

His back was killing him, it felt like there were separate child care muscles in his body that had never been used before and were now being pushed to the limit.

He loved it.

"You do know that you live in New York, right?" He asked as he dropped both of their bags carefully to the floor.

Olivia looked around her as though only just registering her surroundings. "Really?" She asked with a sarcastic smirk.

"I mean, you left your door open," he explained pointedly.

"I am a cop, Rafa," she dismissed his concern. "Besides I find it hard to imagine perps have taken to walking around lightly pushing on every door in the city searching for ones that happen to be left unlatched."

Barba rolled his eyes, "I don't care about 'every door in the city', only yours."

Olivia smiled and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips, "That's a pretty crappy attitude for an assistant district attorney," she teased, "…but it's also very sweet." She ran her hand over Noah's hair and then kissed his forehead. "Did you have a nice afternoon with Uncle Rafa, baby?"

"Yes!" Noah replied happily. "We ate food, danced, I met Uncle Rafa's friend...she's funny...then had a nap."

"You met Uncle Rafa's friend?"

"Rita," Barba explained, "…we'll need to talk about that."

Olivia nodded at him with a little concern and then looked at Noah, "You danced?"

"Me and Uncle Rafa," Noah grinned.

"That sounds like fun," Olivia observed.

"You dance tomorrow - I play wiv Uncle Rafa's mommy," Noah explained. He was distracted by Georgie walking into the room, so wiggled and reached to be put down. "Gor-gi!"

Barba smiled and put Noah on the floor, then they watched him toddle after his cat.

"I'm no longer wanted," he joked and leaned in to kiss just below Olivia's ear.

"Mmmm, you'll always be wanted by me…" She assured and wrapped her arms around his waist. After a minute, Olivia pulled back and reached behind her to retrieve something from the kitchen counter. "It's hardly a stunning family heirloom, but…" she placed a key in his hand.

Barba looked at the key with wide eyes, "You're sure about this?"

"I want you to have it, Rafa, I want you to know that my door is always open to you," she assured, "..any time, day or night."

Suddenly the door being left open made more sense and he smiled. "You're amazing, Livia. I'll get one cut for you."

Olivia looked a little concerned, "You don't have to feel obliged to."

He shook his head and slipped the key onto his chain. "I want you to have it, this makes us feel…"

"Official?" She completed and glanced at his mouth. "We haven't even made love yet."

"Tomorrow," he assured, "…I hope I haven't built this up too much by suggesting that we wait."

She laughed and leaned in to kiss him, "Not even possible…just looking at you turns me on, I know we'll be amazing together"

"Livia…" Barba spoke softly against her lips.

"Mommy?" Noah asked from the floor nearby. Georgie was climbing over his legs and making him giggle.

"Yes, baby?" Olivia asked as she reluctantly pulled back and smiled at her son.

"We can play daddy?" He asked.

Olivia looked at Barba with equal parts horror and confusion.

Barba shook his head apologetically, "Rita's idea of a joke, as Noah was there I put her in her place…very gently."

"Uncle Rafa's friend was joking, my sweet boy, that's not a game," Olivia replied softly.

"I don't have daddy. Uncle Rafa play daddy?" Noah asked.

Barba smiled at Olivia, then surprised her by taking her little boy's question in his stride and completely defusing what could have been a very awkward reaction to an innocent question.

He walked over and picked Noah up, swinging him like an aeroplane around the room for a few seconds and making him laugh. Then he picked Eddie up off the couch and headed toward Noah's bedroom. "Sure, I can play daddy," Barba tickled Noah and made him giggle as they walked down the hall, "…but that means I'm in charge, so time to get changed for bed and wash up before our food arrives."

As Olivia watched them enter her son's room she shook her head with amusement - for all Barba's claims to be inexperienced with children when it came to Noah he seemed to be a natural. She'd never really believed in fate, but something had always told her that she'd been predestined to be Noah's mother…and now she was starting to wonder if his daddy had also been written in the stars.

Their food arrived and Olivia, Barba and Noah all settled in front of the television to eat.

They put on the third Star Wars movie and Barba promised to take point with Noah so that Olivia could focus on the movie and not be distracted.

So while they had watched the first two movies together, laying in each other's arms, this one ended with Olivia alone on the couch while Barba sat on the floor playing with the Duplo bricks and trying to keep Noah's noise down to a dull roar.

Olivia sat with her feet up on the couch and Georgie, who had lost interest in playing with Barba and Noah, came to lay with her.

In so many ways the setting might have seemed far less intimate than the first two movies, but in every way that counted the atmosphere in the room felt warm, domestic and filled with love. Something beautiful was developing and although Olivia enjoyed the final movie she regularly found herself checking-out and just luxuriating in the feeling.

After the credits had rolled, and Noah had built a tower that he was convinced could very nearly take them all the way to the moon and back, Olivia took the lead on bedtime while Barba cleared up and fed Georgie.

By the time she walked back into the kitchen, they both felt drained and lethargic from their life-altering week.

"I don't know how you do it," Barba said as he turned to face her and leaned back against the sink, "…he's absolutely wonderful…but I'm exhausted."

Olivia laughed, "I think you know how parents do it…" she pointed out as she slipped her arms around his neck and rested sleepily against him, "…we're fuelled by love."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her neck, "I'll give you that, I can't remember the last time I felt this exhausted…but I have this energy running through my veins."

"Love…" She smiled and lay her head on his shoulder.

Barba hummed, "Definitely love."

"You wanted to talk? Something about Rita?" Olivia reminded him.

"Nothing of great concern I suppose." Barba shrugged and held her close, lazily stroking up and down her back. "She figured out that Noah is your son and put two and two together. I trust that she won't tell anyone...but we're surrounded by intelligent and naturally inquisitive people, so it's only a matter of time before more of them figure this out. I think maybe we should disclose, sooner rather than later."

Olivia let out a breath, "I didn't want to feel pushed into this earlier than we felt ready, but I guess it is inevitable..." she paused for a second and then looked into his eyes and smiled, "...I agree, let's do it Monday."

"Diffuse the gossip train before it leaves its metaphorical station," Barba concurred sleepily.

Olivia chuckled, "Mixed metaphors? You are tired."

He smiled and kissed her temple, "We do need to rest before our date. You really don't mind if I sleepover?"

Olivia chuckled and nuzzled against his neck, "Do I mind you sleeping in my bed?" Her hand stroked over his forearms lazily. "No, Rafa, I don't mind that at all…"

"Well, it's polite to ask…" he teased.

She took his hand and tugged him toward her bedroom, "Well, consider yourself to have an open invitation to share my bed, you will always be more than welcome."

They reached her room and Barba glanced around the familiar space, he'd been in here often when she was feeling unwell - but in this new context, it felt very different.

Olivia turned at the side of her bed and slowly began to slip open the buttons on his shirt, as she pushed it off his broad shoulders she leaned to press a kiss just under his collarbone and noticed him wince a little.

"Hey, are you in pain?" She asked with concern.

Barba shook his head, "It's nothing, I think my body is just adjusting to carrying your boy around."

Olivia smiled and more cautiously pulled off his undershirt, then walked around him and slowly kissed from his chest around his shoulder and then across his back. "Sit down for me?" She asked softly.

He did as directed and perched on the end of her bed, then watched as Olivia took off her pants and shirt. Then she kneeled behind him, reached for a bottle of oil on her nightstand and began to massage his back. Her hands travelled confidently over his shoulders, down his spine and then up his sides...kneading, stroking and soothing his aching muscles.

"You're so good at this..." Barba moaned and leaned into her touch.

After about 15 minutes her lips kissed up the side of his neck and Barba turned toward her. He slowly traced his fingers over the upper line of her bra, watching with fascination as her nipples rose and pushed against the silk. "Beautiful…" he said reverently.

The sleepy atmosphere had created an almost dreamlike feeling in the room as Barba leaned down and kissed her lips…his whole body reacted to the scent and flavour of her skin as he moved closer. He reached behind her and flicked open her bra, gazing at her breasts as they were bared to him and then slowly stroking and almost reverently cupping them in his hands.

"A breast man?" She couldn't help but tease.

He looked at her, his eyes dancing with affectionate humor. "With you, I'm an everything man. I'm still struggling to believe that I'm allowed to touch you."

Olivia laughed softly as he moved above and encouraged her to lay back on the bed.

"Rafa, you're not just allowed to touch me," she assured as her lips found his again, "…I actively encourage you to touch me. Anywhere and everywhere…as often as you want."

Barba smiled, "Fair warning - I pretty much want to touch you every minute of every day."

"Perfect…" She assured and watched as he made quick work of standing and removing his pants.

"I seem to remember you made me a promise earlier," he reminded her with a smile.

Olivia's eyes danced. "A promise?" She asked with mock coyness and he chuckled roughly.

He covered her body again and this time Olivia focused on the feeling of his skin against hers, he felt amazing.

"Rafa," Olivia pulled up on her elbows to look down at him and watch breathlessly as he slowly slipped off her panties and dropped them to one side. "I want you inside me…" she breathed out.

"Tomorrow," he assured and smiled up at her with dark eyes.

"I believe that I could change your mind," she pointed out temptingly.

He smirked, "You could. Undoubtedly. But don't you want to go on our date knowing what's coming at the end of the evening?" He slowly slipped his hands between her thighs and pushed her legs apart, then leaned down and blew on her clit.

"Rafa!" Olivia gasped loudly and then bit her lip.

They both paused waiting for a noise down the hall, then after several seconds smiled at each other. "I think we're going to become experts at low-volume sex," he smiled and stroked his hand up her thighs then over her ass.

"The curse of parenthood," she teased and then, realising her assumption, smiled awkwardly. "Not that you're…"

Barba cut off her words with his lips, his tongue immediately pushing into her mouth and causing Olivia to buck up against him. "Mine," he uttered possessively as his hand came up and stroked over her breast, teasing her taut nipples before sliding down to grasp her hip.

Olivia smiled against his mouth and hummed, closing her eyes when she felt his solid cock push against her core. "Oh, God!"

He moved down the bed quickly, covering her with his mouth before she even had time to register what he was doing. Then he licked and sucked along her folds, taking a second to thrust his tongue into her core before moving up to focus his attention on her clit - licking, sucking and devouring her until all Olivia could do was grip onto the sheets and brace her feet on the bed as she pushed up toward him.

She grasped out blindly and grabbed a pillow, pulling it over her face and biting down as her climax hit. Olivia shuddered as she came down and then dropped bonelessly onto the bed, laying with her arms heavy on the pillows either side of her head, the world only coming back into focus when Barba took the pillow away and came to lay alongside her. He kissed her lips lazily, teasing and breathing heavily against her mouth.

"No words," Olivia finally breathed out against his lips as their mouths danced easily against each other.

Finally, as Barba's energy became completely depleted, his head came to lay on her shoulder.

Olivia felt his hard length against her thigh. "Give me a minute, I'll…"

"Sleep," Barba said softly, pulling up a blanket to cover them both and then curling into her embrace.

"No, I…" She started, trying to protest even as his comfortable weight lulled her toward sleep.

"Sleep with me," Barba implored and closed his eyes heavily.

Barba woke a couple of hours later and found himself alone, he heard the toilet flush and curled up under the sheets for a few moments, then felt Olivia slip into bed next to him. He wordlessly stroked his hand down her side and smiled when he found her completely naked. His hand stroked over her ass and he sleepily nuzzled against her neck and kissed her skin.

He felt Olivia tug at his boxers and lifted his hips to allow her to pull them down, then closed his eyes and felt his body drift back toward sleep as she lay in his arms and rested her head on his shoulder.

After what could have been either seconds or minutes her fingers danced lightly over his balls and Barba groaned and curled toward her. "Livia…" he hummed and kissed her neck again.

Her fingers continued their slow dance, eventually moving to stroke over his cock, which lay heavily against his thigh and was already responding to her touch. Her hand wrapped around him and Barba inhaled sharply and held his breath. "Baby…" he murmured drowsily then felt her hand disappear. He almost believed this could have been a dream, then her hand returned and wrapped around him again - slick, he realised in a moment of lucidity, with her own desire.

"Livia…" Barba groaned and then hooked his leg over hers as she began to stroke slowly and smoothly. "Fuck…" He gasped against her lips when he moved to kiss her and felt his length become firm under her touch.

"You're beautiful," she whispered against his mouth. Olivia maintained a steady and almost dreamlike pace while making her strokes more confident and quickly building him toward his impending climax.

Barba opened his eyes, the adoration in her dark gaze pushing him over the edge and taking over his limited control as he came powerfully over her belly.

"God, Liv," Barba groaned and then watched as Olivia quickly used wipes she'd brought with her from the bathroom to cleaned them both. She tossed the wipes in a wastepaper basket near the bed and then curled against him once more.

"Goodnight, mi amor," she whispered and kissed his shoulder before lying wrapped around him.

Barba was silent for several seconds, still slightly in shock, then cocooned her into his embrace and held her as close as you would expect a person to hold the most precious thing in their life. "Goodnight, my love," he finally replied.

TBC...