AUTHOR'S NOTE: I think we're going to call this one "complete"! But did you know that over on AO3 there is an ongoing alternate version of this story that is a slower burn and still holding on to canon-compliance to present day (as of episodes airing to November 19, 2020)? Look for "Intimate" under author "Inhiding", and enjoy!
The laughter returned when Barba gave her leave to "hit the showers" and she came back to find the bed stripped and remade, the covers turned down and ready for her.
But despite her ribbing about his fastidiousness, she had to admit that it felt rather luxurious to be so cared for. And as he climbed into bed beside her after his own shower, she couldn't deny that it felt nice to be clean after their sweaty endeavors.
That's not to say they didn't enjoy a bit of an "afterglow"; when the laughter had faded a tenderness took its place, punctuated by languid, sated kisses and thoughtful, meaningful, grateful expressions.
Now that they were clothed and cuddled together in the dark, it rather amazed them both that they could immediately return to "business as usual" as they talked about work and life and Noah. But neither were disappointed. Barba would later express that it had delighted him not just that he'd been right in an earlier assessment about the difference between "love" and "in love" for them not really changing much, though he did always enjoy being right. But also in how it was a reflection of the intimacy they already held between them that adding sex to the mix didn't drastically alter their dynamic.
It DID alter their schedule. Normally after a weekend Olivia would try to stay in bed for as long as she could before she had to get Noah ready for school and herself ready for work. But when she awoke at 5:30 as he slipped back into bed after a trip to the bathroom, while she was tired she found she wasn't interested in going back to sleep. After a visit to the bathroom herself, she was spooning him from behind, pressing her lips to the back of his neck as her fingers slid over his hip to his thigh, playing at the hem of the shorts he wore.
"Why didn't we do this years ago?" she murmured sleepily near his ear.
He turned to face her. "I'm glad we didn't," he said with a grin before his lips found hers.
"You're going to need to qualify that if you plan to get me naked this morning," she teased between kisses.
"Your loss," he teased right back. "Too bad, really. I had so much planned for your nakedness."
"Oh, shut up. But only AFTER you explain yourself."
"Fine." He took a moment to find the words, but the time was well spent as his fingers skirted over his skin. "If I have to think about the story we'll be making our grandkids sit through someday about how we met and got together, then I think that this story, our story just as it is, is a pretty damn good one." He kissed her forehead sweetly. "Now take your clothes off."
And before Olivia was too distracted to think straight, she took a moment to consider his words and realized she agreed. She loved their story, and she wouldn't change a word.
