"Huh…"
Rafael watched with rising annoyance as Olivia squinted down at the paper in her hands. Her eyebrows twitched closer together.
Wait for it…
"Huh."
He cocked his head, "Olivia…?"
"Shh!" she hissed, not looking up, "I've got this."
"Are you sure?"
Olivia shot him a look, "Who's the former detective now Lieutenant here?"
He sighed, "You."
"So yes," she said smugly, "I'm sure."
Silence fell over them once more and Rafael resigned himself to watching her struggle. Her forehead was doing it again.
3… 2… 1…
"Huh."
Okay, that's enough. "Dios mío, Liv, dámelo. Come on. Give it to me."
Olivia snatched the paper out of his reach, "Rafa, no, I've got this!"
"Liv, we don't have much time left and we still have three more keys to find, please let me look at it."
Olivia pouted but handed it over. "This wasn't even your idea."
Rafael tactfully chose to remain silent as he stared down at the paper for the first time. It was blank except for a carefully cut out article from an old newspaper.
"Huh."
"That's what I said!"
He read the snippet.
"Police baffled as the search for Nancy Wilson, age 48, continues. Nancy Wilson was last seen 3 days before her disappearance from 53 Maple Ave purchasing one-way tickets to Hawaii."
Rafael looked up from the paper to find Olivia staring at him with a smirk.
"I love watching you think," she flirted.
"You. Are not helpful," Rafael admonished, unable to hide his pleased grin before he pointed at the luggage on the floor next to her. "The lock. How many digits?"
Olivia frowned and bent down to check. "Six."
He smiled, "Put in 483531."
"483…531… It opened!" She looked up at him, shocked.
"Huh," Rafael teased, "Now who exactly was the former detective now Lieutenant, Benson?"
Olivia scowled, "How do you keep doing this?"
"You did pick the easiest level, Liv."
"I know, but still!"
"Jealous?" he teased.
She scoffed. "You wish. Now get over here."
"Gladly," he drawled.
Olivia cracked open the suitcase to find—
"A black light!"
Rafael stood back and watched as Olivia jumped up and raced to turn off the lights, her face alight with excitement. When she grinned back at him, he felt a powerful rush of affection.
And then she flipped the switch.
Olivia shrieked as a panel in the wall dropped to the floor with a deafening bang while Rafael yelped and instinctively lurched forward to gather her up in his arms. As she clutched his arm, they gaped at the wall that now revealed a (fake) skeleton in the wall.
"Oh my god." Olivia's voice was shaky.
"Are you okay?" Rafael asked, pulling back a little to look at her.
"You get to pick the next three dates," she said shaking her head, "This was an awful idea."
He just looked at her before pulling her in closer, "Awful?" he asked softly, "I wouldn't say so." She smirked a little and pressed herself more firmly against him, "I'm quite enjoying the evening so far."
"I'll say," she hummed, pleased with herself.
"That obvious?" Rafael breathed, eyes flicking to her lips.
"Either you've got a clue in your pocket," Olivia began, "Or you're happy to—"
He captured her lips with a kiss and they spoke no more.
They never did find the other three keys.