They got ready together, both changing into some nicer, yet casual clothes. That was all Fitz had with him at the moment, so a super fancy dinner wasn't really an option. But they'd have plenty of opportunities for that later.
And although Fitz had protested that she didn't need to wear any makeup — she still put some on. She couldn't help it, being the makeup lover she was.
And they had a really nice dinner, at a nearby Italian place that they were able to walk to. It was such a beautiful evening.
And although they'd already walked quite a bit that day, neither would ever get sick of walking hand in hand down the busy sidewalks of New York City.
The loud sounds of the people around them, and of the cars honking filling their ears. The colors of the stoplights and the pedestrian signs changing. And during the evenings, the slow dimming of the sunlight — replaced with the illuminating lights of each store, restaurant, bar, or whatever it may be.
Truly, the city that never slept. And to some people, it was such a comforting environment. Something that they loved, and that felt like home. It was like that for both Olivia and Fitz. And of course, now that they'd talked about it, both were thinking of the day they may live in the city. Together.
What a day that would be.
They chose a different restaurant a few blocks down for dessert, for no reason other than to try a new place and walk around more.
It was delicious. And by the time they got back to Olivia's place, it was almost ten.
And Fitz was really tired now. Something he could thank his medication for. He hadn't even taken it yet that day, but its effects on his body were finally starting to show themselves regularly.
As for his anxiety — nothing seemed to be affecting that. He still dealt with it and he knew he always would. But it certainly hadn't been any better since being on this medication. Actually, it had kind of started to get worse. However, that probably largely had to do with the fact that he'd been going through quite a bit lately. There were definitely things piling up internally for him.
Either way, recently, he couldn't help but notice how tired he grew as the day went on. And sometimes, in the mornings, the dizziness that occurred. It had started off fairly minimal. But he was starting to notice both more and more each day — which was something he was rather familiar with.
He never ended up having luck with medications. Never. And because of all his loved ones' encouragement and positivity surrounding the subject, it was hard to bring them down with him.
And it was pretty easy to hide from people. He didn't live with Olivia, so she didn't get to see the effects firsthand. As for at home, he slept on a completely different level than everyone else, got up much earlier most of the time, and was at work almost the rest of the time, which made hiding it easier.
But now, spending the night with Olivia, he was either going to have to hide it, or confess. And when it came to his anxiety, he usually chose to hide what he could, if possible. Simply out of habit, and embarrassment.
So he tried his best.
"Ahhh. Looks like Greta's staying at Mikko's," Olivia informed him, looking down at her phone.
"Hmmmm," Fitz smirked, starting to take off his shirt.
"Place to ourselves," Olivia said, coming up to him suggestively.
"Mhm," he nodded, holding on to her hips.
She was wearing skin-tight jeans and a cropped blouse of sorts — and it was hard not to stare. Not only was it cropped, but it had a nice v-cut neckline. One of his favorite aspects of many of her tops.
She took over for him, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt.
"I am...a big fan of this shirt," he said, eyeing her blouse.
"Yeah?" she laughed.
He nodded, running his hand over her exposed stomach.
"You are...so sexy," he whispered, eyeing her body. "I mean...Jesus. It's no wonder people...fucking stare at you."
She gasped, shaking her head. "They do not."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Olivia, I was just out with you at two different restaurants. People stare at you. Because you are hot."
"Noooo, no way. I was just going to tell you the same thing! They stare at you," she said.
"Me?" he chuckled. "Nuh-uh."
"Uhhh, yuh-huh," she nodded.
They were both astonished and in awe that the other was in disbelief. Because they both genuinely believed they were right.
He shook his head and chuckled. "This will go on forever."
She smiled, pushing his shirt right off his shoulders.
She ran her hands down his strong chest and nodded. "Yes. It will. So why don't we do something else instead."
His muscular chest, and the carved six-pack that stared back at her. Good God.
He sighed slowly as she felt him up.
"Oh. Yeah. We could...do something else," he nodded.
Oh God, and now she was kissing him.
He looked down, watching her press her lips to his chest.
Oh, and here she was. On her tiptoes. Kissing his neck.
He tilted his head to the side — letting her. The sleepiness was beginning to fade, because now he was being kissed.
He stiffened against her and tightened his grip on her at the same time, letting out a sigh.
But there was still space between them. Just enough for her to feel him with her hand.
"Oh. Somebody likes," Olivia noted, feeling him through his pants. He was semi-hard already, and she'd barely started.
Naturally, he blushed. Because when didn't he blush.
But he ignored it. Instead, he reached for his belt.
She nodded at him for confirmation and he nodded back, guiding her to her bed.
She had her shirt off by the time she reached the bed, and started to crawl into it normally. But he stopped her.
He beckoned her toward him with two fingers, standing in front of her at the edge of the bed.
A curious smile crossed her face as she repositioned herself in front of him.
She now laid sideways on the bed with her head just about touching the wall and her legs open facing him.
And seeing as though the bed was the perfect height off the ground for it, he was going to fuck her just like that.
He stopped fiddling with his pants and directed his attention to hers.
She smirked, watching him unfasten the high-waisted jeans that made his eyes wander. Watching him in these situations never got old, because anything he did was so sexy to her.
The determined look he always seemed to have on his face, when he didn't know she was watching. Which was then usually followed by a smile and flushed cheeks, when he realized she was watching.
He could look at her with the most innocent, adorable, crooked smile — the one that gave him his nickname — but yet be doing something so dirty.
All of it was so sexy to her.
And that was probably because while she definitely had him wrapped around her finger — he did too. He had her in the palm of his hand, too.
He'd yanked her jeans off, and her underwear now too. Those bright blue eyes were looking at her with such desire. And the wetness she already felt between her legs reflected desire back at him.
He reached to touch her almost immediately — warming her up as he slowly tried to take off the rest of his clothes with one hand. Multitasking at its finest
She sucked in a sudden breath, her hand pushing against the wall behind her as his finger began to pump in and out of her.
And then he was naked, leaning against the bed with the most devilish smirk as he fingered her.
"Hi," he said softly.
"Hi," she whispered, opening her legs wider for him.
"How about all the way for me?" he asked, nodding at her legs.
She happily obliged, and opened them as far as they could go — letting them lazily bend at the knees.
"Mm," he replied, satisfied. "That's perfect."
His eyes devoured her body. She was laying there in front of him — spread wide. He pulled his finger out of her and stuck it in his mouth. Tasting her, and coating it in a wetness that would please his ears, and her body.
"Ohhh. God, it's sexy when you do that," she whispered.
He just smiled at her and then bit his lip, before slowly pushing in two fingers.
A gasp slipped from her lips as she grabbed the sheets hard.
So he went slower, until she got comfortable. And then he could physically feel and hear her getting wetter.
God, it felt good. He was so fucking good at it. And not only did it feel good. But it was another thing that pleased her to watch.
The way he studied her body, and adjusted when he needed to. The way he licked his lips the second he started hearing her. Hearing his favorite sound.
Plus, he was naked this entire time — so that was yet another thing she got to look at. He was rigid, and slowly dripping. He'd wipe it away nonchalantly every now and then, because it wasn't his focus, but it was sexy nonetheless.
Yeah. She liked the view she had right now. And so did he.
"Music. Music to my ears," he said, nodding at his fingers.
They were dripping wet now, producing a very audible noise.
She smiled, looking sweetly at him. "Mhm. Look how...easy that was for you. How...wet you make me, Fitz."
His tongue slid across his lip, admiring how her body was gripping his fingers.
"Yeah. You're pretty wet right now," he agreed. "You're...dripping, Olivia."
"That is all you, baby. All you," she panted, opening a hand to him.
He smiled and intertwined their fingers, and she comfortably laid her head back, letting out a pleasured sigh.
But then he took his fingers out.
An audible whimper escaped her mouth as she looked to see why he'd stopped such wonderful work.
But she was pleased with the answer. He pulled her to the very edge of the bed quickly. And then he gripped his erection, and guided it toward her wet entrance.
He slid in slowly, making both of them moan. And they were not quiet about it. People on the other side of Olivia's wall had definitely heard some things in their day.
It felt way too damn good to do it for very long. Otherwise, they'd both want to keep doing it raw.
He just wanted to tease her a little bit. So after sliding in and out a few times and letting her adjust — he pulled out again, and started rubbing her with his tip. So much teasing.
And it worked.
Every time she started begging, he knew he'd done it well.
"Please," she moaned desperately. "Fitz...please."
"What?" he asked softly, making eye contact as his soft, wet tip teased her clit.
It felt too good. Dangerously good. He had to be careful, because he was teasing himself here, too.
"Please," she whimpered, arching her back. "Give it to me. Please..."
A soft smile formed on his face as he watched the way she started to move her hips. She wanted contact so badly — and he had to admit, it was nice watching her rub up against his dick.
But he stepped away, assuring her with his eyes that he'd give her what she craved. What they both craved.
Upon looking in the drawer of her nightstand, where they always kept their condoms, he grabbed one and made a mental note that there were only a couple left.
Looks like they were almost in need again.
He put it on as quickly as he could, and didn't waste any more time. No more teasing. Just pure bliss.
He rubbed her clit, and thrust inside her as he stood there in front of her.
Her legs were wide, but he pushed them to go even wider — allowing him to thrust in and out more easily.
And man, was she loud.
Throughout all of this, she'd still been wearing a bra, and he was wishing now that he'd taken it off before. So with his free hand, he reached forward and unclipped it from the front, never ceasing his pace.
He didn't even bother taking it off of her — that was too difficult right now when he wanted to focus on multiple other things. But he did undo it and allow himself the pleasure of seeing her bare breasts. He rubbed them slowly with his hand, while he thrust in and out of her.
She reached her climax before he did, and hearing her voice made it extra pleasurable for him when he neared his edge. Those pleasured moans. The profanities, and whimpers of his name.
He was panting so hard and so fast, reaching forward to brace himself against the bed as he shuddered inside her.
"Oh — fuck," he groaned, feeling the last of his warm spurts of cum fill the inside of his condom.
She was laying there almost astonished at the round they'd just gone, and he was about ready to collapse and fall asleep.
The tiredness instantly came rushing back after he orgasmed. Especially after one like that — a big, wonderful one.
Still, he waited a minute before exiting her snug warmth. She just felt so nice. He could have almost fallen asleep like that if he weren't still standing up.
"My God, you are incredible," she whispered.
He panted, still trying to catch his breath. But the compliment still made warmth surge through him. Even if he couldn't properly respond right now.
"Oh, baby. That's...you," he said breathlessly, slowly pulling out.
She watched sadly as he pulled out of her — seeing him take care of his condom.
And that was about all the energy he could spare right now. Throw away his condom. Clean himself up. Bring back a washcloth for Olivia.
And then collapse in bed. Done.
Olivia smiled, scooting up to join her seemingly exhausted boyfriend.
"That good, huh?" she teased.
"Yes," he whispered, eyes heavy. "So...good. I don't think...I don't think any more cum could possibly come out of me for...multiple days."
She burst into laughter, stroking his damp curls.
"Oh. If that's a challenge, I definitely accept it," she nodded.
He laid there, so relaxed, as she played with his hair, and rubbed his chest. And he chuckled at her, because somehow he knew she was right. Even if he felt dead right now.
If she'd made him cum three times in a day before, he was pretty sure she could do just about anything.
"I bet you would," he nodded tiredly. "But...forewarning, we're almost out of condoms. I'll — pick up more."
"Oh," she noted. "That's okay, baby, I can pick some up. Have we really been going at it...that hard?"
He laughed.
"Spring Break made...a big dent."
The realization hit her and she nodded.
"Ohhh. That's right," she laughed. "A...big dent."
"Mhm. Was...really nice."
She tilted his chin toward her and leaned in for a kiss, to which he gave all his effort to kiss her back. He was clearly exhausted.
"Wow. That one really took you out," she noted. She sounded impressed.
"Yeah," he agreed. But he was tired, so it was only a half-hearted statement, and she began to notice.
She was about ready to address his extreme tiredness, until her phone started ringing.
Her eyes widened as she looked over at it on her nightstand.
"Oh. Shit," Fitz panted, eyeing the phone as well. "Ma's calling."
But she did have to think for a minute — if she was actually able to answer it right now. Not only because she was with Fitz, but because she was still short of breath, and so was he. That might be a little odd.
But, it was her mother. Her sweet mother who she hadn't talked to in a few days.
"I need to answer this, honey," she whispered, reaching for it.
"I know. Go ahead. You want me to give you the room?" he asked, starting to get up.
"Oh, no, baby. Thanks, but that's okay. Stay with me," she said, petting the sheets next to her.
He smiled and laid back down beside her, peering over at her. "I'll be quiet."
Olivia nodded, and took one last deep breath. Hopefully, she could mask her quick breathing.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Hi, baby," Marie said.
"Hey, ma," Olivia smiled, cuddling closer to Fitz.
He laid there with his eyes closed, very content with her hand on his chest.
"How you doing, Livvie?"
"I'm great! How about you? How's the restaurant been this week?" Olivia asked, taking a slow, deep breath. It was one of the few things she could do to hide the breathlessness.
"Oh, the usual. It was pretty busy last night, so I'm sorry I'm a little late calling for our end-of-the-week chat!"
"Oh, no problem, ma. I know how busy you are, it's okay. I'm glad you called!"
"Good, baby, I was hoping it wouldn't be too late tonight either. We just closed, so I called as soon as I could. What about you, what were you up to tonight?" she asked. "You sound...winded!"
Olivia's face grew warm with embarrassment, and Fitz's eyes jolted open.
"Uhh...yeah, I just got home. Was out and about walking," Olivia explained.
That was fairly true! She may or may not have just had sex in between...
"Okay...I hope you were with someone! I don't want you out and about walking by yourself at night in that big old city!" she exclaimed.
"No, no, never, ma. I was out with a friend. We just had some dinner, and now I'm back. I promise, I do not walk alone at night," she assured her mother.
Fitz looked over at her sleepily, and mouthed "friend zoned" at her, which had her holding in a giggle.
"Okay. Well I feel better 'bout that. What kind of friend were you out with?" Marie asked.
Olivia licked her lips and looked at her boyfriend, who was also still trying to steady his own breathing. Thankfully he wasn't the one having to talk right now, so he had actually stayed extremely quiet.
Uhh...the kind of friend that was currently naked next to her?
"Oh. Just...you know," Olivia replied hesitantly.
She hated to say "just a friend" again — afraid that he'd feel bad. But she also hated to lie to her mom when directly asked, so she'd been trying to tell as much of the truth as possible.
"I don't know, actually. Did it happen to be a male friend?" Marie asked.
Fitz smirked to himself, covering his eyes in embarrassment.
Olivia laughed. "Yes, ma. A male friend."
"Mmmm. Mmkay..." she said slowly. "Well, he a nice male friend?"
Now Fitz blushed harder.
"Yes. Very nice, mom," Olivia laughed.
"Alright. Well, I won't make you get into all the details. But I do expect you to be smart, and to be careful, Olivia Carolyn. I know you know that but nobody can ever say that enough. That applies to everyone, at all times."
"Yes. Of course, mom. Always," Olivia nodded.
Fitz nodded and pointed at the phone in agreement. It truly did apply to everyone — she had a point.
"Alright then. I know you are, I just worry sometimes. You all alone out there, so far away. I know you can take care of yourself — you've been doing it for years already. But I'm your mom. I worry."
"No need to worry. And I'm not all alone. I have...so many great friends here. We all take care of each other. Promise," Olivia nodded.
"I know you do. I know, you're right. And hey...speaking of your friends. I had Shawn and her mama over for dinner the other night. Boy, does she miss you!" Marie exclaimed.
"Oh, yeah — Shawn told me! I miss her too. I can't wait to see her soon. And you!" Olivia said.
"You better be excited to see your mama!" her mother teased. "I miss you so much, baby. Every day!"
"Every day," Olivia nodded with a smile. "But it's okay. I'll see you in May."
"Mhm. I look forward to that!" Marie exclaimed.
"Me too, mom. Me too."
"Well, I didn't wanna keep you too long. I know you got things going on and you're busy too. I just wanted to check in and hear your voice," Marie said.
"Well, thanks for the call, mom. I'll call you next week, okay?" Olivia asked.
"Okay, Olivia. You keep up the good work there. You study hard. I love you."
"I will, mom. I love you too."
"Bye, now."
"Bye!"
Olivia hung up and put her phone back, as Fitz lifted up his head again.
"So...your mom and I have questions. Who's this male friend of yours? Do I have to be worried?" he asked.
Olivia laughed, kissing his cheek. "Sorry about that. I wanted to be as honest as I could be, without...you know."
"Definitely do not apologize for that. Trust me. I...completely understand," he assured her. "Although...I'm glad you weren't entirely honest when she asked why you were, uh...winded."
Olivia's eyes widened and she laughed. "Oh, God, I know. I almost had a heart attack."
He chuckled. "I know. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to jump in. 'Um, hey, Mrs. Pope. Male friend, here. Yeah. So actually, we just...had sex. Hence the panting,'" he joked.
She was dying of laughter next to him, patting his chest. "Oh my God. Never, never, never."
"You're right. I...I need her to like me," he nodded quietly.
"She will," Olivia said, cupping his cheek with a smile.
"I really hope so," he whispered.
His eyes slowly started to close again, and she remembered what she'd been about to ask him before her mom called.
"Baby," she whispered, brushing his hair back.
"Hmm?"
"Is...everything okay tonight?" she asked curiously.
"Oh yeah. I'm just...I'm tired," he replied honestly.
"You sure...that's all?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he nodded.
But now he was being hesitant, because he was starting to be untruthful. He always kind of felt like he had the right to hide this particular subject from people. It was something he dealt with, and something he dealt with alone. And who he told what — always felt like his personal right.
But. This was also his girlfriend. His girlfriend who cared so deeply about him, and this particular subject. So he started to hesitate at the fact that he wasn't being entirely truthful, and that she would want to know.
"Okay," she nodded slowly. "Well, come on. Let's go wash up and we can sleep."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Alright."
They took the quickest of showers, together, washing away the day, and then they got ready for bed.
When they finally laid in bed together, Olivia in a pink bonnet tonight, and a comfy pair of pajamas, and Fitz in boxers, she noticed him discreetly reach down into his bag for his medication.
And that's when she knew for sure that something else was up. Because he looked at the bottle like he was dreading taking it with his entire being.
"Hey," she said gently, reaching for the orange bottle in his hands.
His eyes flickered over his bare shoulder to her curiously.
"What?" he asked.
"What's going on?" she asked.
He sighed, gesturing to the bottle that was now in her hands tiredly.
"Olivia, I need to take that."
"I know you do. But why are you looking at it like...you want to chuck it out my window?" she asked.
He couldn't help but chuckle at that one.
He kind of did want to do that.
"Don't laugh," she said.
"Well, it was...funny," he admitted.
"And...true?" she inquired.
His chuckled faded into a smile, which then faded away entirely.
And he nodded.
"It's not working, is it?" she asked quietly.
A deep sigh escaped his mouth. Oh man. Here it went.
"No. It's not...working," he replied.
"Not...at all?" she asked.
"No."
"Is it...hurting, more than helping?" she asked.
"So far...yes."
She sighed sadly.
"How long ago did you notice that it was starting to affect you?"
"About...a week ago," he replied.
"And what has it been...doing?" she asked, scooting closer to him.
He scooted closer too, and felt comfort when she snuggled up to him.
"Just...I don't know. It's not a big deal. I knew this would happen, Olivia. Trust me. I didn't think this was all of the sudden just going to work for me. They've all given me some sort of problem, so it's nothing I haven't experienced before."
"That's not what I asked."
"I know. I just...don't want you to worry."
"Fitz. Please tell me how it's been affecting you," she said again.
He didn't think he could really escape it now.
"I guess...I've started to get really tired most days. Early afternoons at work, and...then for the rest of the day. "And...I sometimes wake up dizzy. But only sometimes. That's been happening for...longer than a week, though."
"Baby," she said worriedly, looking up at him sadly. She hugged him so tight.
He laughed. "Oh don't look at me like that, Livvie. I'm fine. Like I said. This is not new."
"Clearly, you're not fine, honey. And you didn't tell me any of this?"
"I told you now," he shrugged.
"Yeah, after I had to beg you to," she said. "You look like you're about ready to hibernate."
He chuckled sleepily, hugging her tight.
"Yeah, 'cause...we had sex and it was...really good," he reasoned.
"Yeah. Yeah...it really was," she agreed. "That was...really nice, actually — good work."
"Thank you," he smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't...go for a round two."
"That's okay. I'm pretty tired, too," she admitted with a laugh. But then she grew serious again.
"But still, Fitz."
"Baby. It's...actually late now. And I was already tired...many hours ago. So...then, sex on top of that just made me exhausted," he said. "I'm okay. But yes. I'm aware I may need to think about some next steps."
"Yeah. I think you need to see Dr. North again," Olivia whispered.
"I agree," he said. "I'm going to wait it out another week or so. At the rate it's going right now, it's negatively affecting my job, and that's not going to work for me. But sometimes...even if it starts out rocky, it can subside. Sometimes our bodies need time to adjust to changes like this. I'm just...not very confident, because...it hasn't shown any sign whatsoever of helping what it's supposed to help. So I'll give it a little longer, and if it's still no good, I'll have to try something new."
Olivia felt bad, thinking that he might have to keep dealing with these annoying symptoms for longer. Thinking that they might even get worse.
"Okay," she nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?" he confirmed, giving her a smile.
She nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that we just haven't gotten this right yet."
He shrugged. He wasn't confident about it, and he was used to the perpetual disappointment, so he tried not to be too down. But, he had to admit — it still hurt. It hurt that he hadn't found a solution, especially when everyone had such high hopes. It was hard not to get his hopes up along with them.
"It's okay."
"No. It's not. But we'll figure it out," she assured him. "Remember that I'm here to talk. Even though I know you don't like to."
"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner," he whispered.
"I understand, Fitz," she replied. "I do. But...I also worry about you. And I just really like to know what's going on. I like to know how you're doing. Because I love you."
"I know. I...I know," he nodded. "I will be better. Okay? I will."
She smiled and leaned in, pecking his lips. His pink, soft lips.
She gave him a few good ones before pulling back. "You are already so good, baby. You deserve...the world."
"I hope that includes you. Because...I just want you," he whispered back.
Her smiling lips leaned back in for more kisses.
When their lips disconnected, she opened the orange bottle in her hands to give him his meds. He took it with his water, thanked her, and shut off her lamp afterward.
"Okay. You can actually get some sleep now. I'm sorry I've kept you up," she said, scooting in closer to his warm body.
"No, no. Don't be sorry," he whispered. "That conversation was also overdue."
"Lots of those today, huh?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he replied. "Throw a divorce in there too. Made for a pretty productive day, don't you think?"
"Very productive," she giggled. "It was a good day."
"Yes. It was."
"I love you," she whispered. "I love you so much, Fitz."
And there it was. Something that could make him feel internally at peace. Even if he was anxious about a hundred other things, or he was dealing with a lot.
A simple phrase that made it a little easier to fall asleep at night. And definitely made it easier to want to get through all those things he had to deal with.
He exhaled deeply, feeling the comfort of his skin pressed against hers, and his arms wrapped around her.
"I love you too, Livvie."
Olivia woke up to the sound of soft breathing. And, some neighbors talking in the halls. Sometimes being a light sleeper was tough.
But it was also hard to deny that waking up before her boyfriend offered her a pretty cute sight.
There he was next to her. Still pressed against her — the way they'd fallen asleep the night before. Then again, considering her bed was tiny, they didn't have much of a choice.
But neither complained.
He was on his side, one arm wrapped around her. His strong chest was on display too, and it was rising and falling slowly with each breath.
The covers were just barely covering his boxers right now, so she got the full view of everything except for his legs. She studied the light layer of brown hair covering his chest, which then led her eyes down to the scar on his lower right side. And from there, she couldn't help but let her eyes linger lower, on what was underneath his boxers.
That long, defined length — hard against his leg. The outline of his tip especially attracted her eyes. It was all so wonderfully visible through the thin fabric and she enjoyed the view for a few minutes. It was early morning after all, and she thanked the heavens for that.
She didn't get to do this often. Admire him while he slept. Mostly, because sleeping together in the same bed was still something they didn't have the luxury of doing often.
She couldn't wait for the day it got to happen more regularly.
Eventually, he started to shift next to her. He didn't have very much space to shift, so he just moved closer to her.
She couldn't help but laugh quietly, hugging him tightly.
A smile formed on his face when he heard her laugh. He didn't open his eyes, but he showed her he was awake now.
"Oh, hi there," she whispered.
"Hi there," he whispered back.
She brushed the curls off his forehead and watched his face relax again.
"How are you?" she asked, starting to kiss his cheeks.
He chuckled, his lips curling into a soft smile.
"Oh. Very smiley today, I see," she noted, pecking his lips.
His smile only brightened after that.
"Well, let's see," he began. "I'm...divorced. I'm in bed with my girlfriend. In a very...tiny bed that encourages extreme, uh...closeness, I should say. And...I'm finally golfing today. So yeah. I'm pretty good," he nodded.
"Oooo, lots of good stuff right there," she agreed.
"Mhm. Especially the you part," he said, rolling over on top of her to kiss her. "I enjoy extreme closeness to you."
She giggled, wrapping her arms around him as he kissed her face, and her neck.
"Uh-huh. And the divorce part. I'm...not gonna lie, I'm still...celebrating that internally. And...respectfully," she said.
He laughed. "Oh, so am I. 'Cause see...you're stuck with me now, baby. There's no turning back now — can't be undone."
"Ohhh, I'm stuck with you, huh?" she asked, looking at him with a smile.
"Yes. You are," he nodded.
"Good. I wouldn't want it any other way," she whispered.
He smiled back at her. That beautiful, bright smile that she loved so much. That made him her smiley.
She pressed a kiss to his chin, and then his nose — making him chuckle. And then she laid her head down on his chest.
"You gotta get ready?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," he replied. "I gotta go pick up Karen from Casey's, and then...I have my tee time with David."
She nodded in agreement. "Okay. Will you just...stay in bed with me one more minute?"
He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. One more minute."
When he sat up after cuddling for their extra long minute, she stayed where she was, rubbing his back lazily.
She admired his lightly tanned skin, feeling it soft beneath her fingers.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly and slowly stood up, still with his back to her. She smiled at the view.
Such a muscular back. Nice ass, although covered with a pair of plaid boxers at the moment. His muscular legs. And so tall.
He stood there for a moment, before taking a couple hesitant steps toward the door. He lightly braced himself against the doorframe, before heading to the bathroom. But that was enough to make Olivia question.
"Baby...? You good?" she called out.
"Uh-huh," he answered.
Yeah. She was getting up now.
She got out of bed and went to go check on him. And there he was, eyes closed as he stood there at the bathroom sink, leaning heavily against the counter.
"Fitz," she said, lightly touching his arm.
"It's...I'm fine. It'll pass," he assured her.
"Are you dizzy?" she asked worriedly.
He nodded.
She rubbed his arm, trying to hold him steady. Or, as steady as she could hold a man much larger than she was.
"Come on. Let's go sit down, that'll be better," she encouraged him.
"No. I'm fine, I'm good," he nodded. "I just have to power through it, or I'd be in bed all morning every morning."
He opened his eyes, keeping one hand firmly on the counter and using the other to grab his toothbrush.
But she still didn't like it, so she kept holding on tightly to his free arm. Trying her best to provide...reinforcement.
"Livvie. I'm alright," he assured her.
"Mmmhm. You say that every time, I know. But...I'm just going to stand here and make sure," she shrugged. "Toothpaste?"
She held unscrewed the cap and held out the tube for him, offering to put some on his toothbrush.
He chuckled, but nodded.
"You take good care of me," he whispered.
"Of course I do — I love you," she answered simply.
"I love you," he said, looking to her. "Very, very much, Olivia."
Though, he was in the process of brushing his teeth now, so his profession of love sounded a little muddled.
They both laughed.
She was still a bit worried, so she accompanied him in the shower afterward too. She probably would have done that anyway, but she definitely wanted to know that she'd seen how he'd really been feeling.
She could tell he was embarrassed about it. Didn't want to talk much about it, didn't want her to worry and definitely didn't want her to have to take care of anything.
That was always something she had to remember about him. After a shitty, long marriage, he was not programmed to want to share anything, and he certainly didn't think he needed help. When he received it, he still had a hard time accepting it without feeling like it was overkill.
She just hoped that soon, he would start to accept it. Simply because she loved him, and genuinely wanted to help.
Soon thereafter, Fitz was on his way back to Rye to pick up Karen after some nice time away with Olivia.
Karen was very happy after spending a night with her best friend, as she usually was, and not too affected by the officialness of her parents' divorce. They'd intentionally kept her in the loop about this for a while now, so that when the day came it would feel almost uneventful to her. She was really beginning to understand what a divorce meant for all of them, so the formal legality of it now wasn't really top of her mind. She'd been prepared for it, and Fitz and Mellie were glad they'd at least done that right.
After getting everything situated at home and getting some food in his system — Fitz left to go play his first round of golf for the season. A little bit too late for his liking, but he'd been pretty busy lately, so he cut himself some slack.
He met David at the club, somewhere David could only enter as a guest of Fitz, since he wasn't a member there.
They always had such a blast golfing together. And even though they both knew who the better golfer was — David always put up a hell of a fight.
"Jesus," David said, watching Fitz's drive down the fairway. Straight down the middle, yet again.
Fitz stood there, still holding his position after his swing, tracking the ball all the way to the ground. He'd hit that one hard.
He slowly lowered his club from over his shoulder, letting it slide through his fingers easily as he nodded at his drive.
"I liked that one," he said, adjusting his glove.
"Uh, yeah, I certainly hope so," David chuckled. "I have never seen you play this well the first round of the year. You get laid or something last night?"
Fitz scoffed and laughed. "Oh, fuck off."
"What?!" David laughed, heading to set up for his drive now. "Always puts a little pep in your step, don't deny it."
"True. So does...divorcing your wife when you're in love with someone else," Fitz added.
David nodded. "Yeah. I suppose that'll do it too."
Fitz laughed.
"The answer is yes, though. I did," Fitz said, putting his driver back in his bag.
"Ahhhh. Knew it," David chuckled, taking a couple practice swings.
Fitz remained quiet for David's drive, which was quite impressive as well. And then they traveled in their golf cart up the fairway to take their second shots.
"So. You and Mellie are clearly taking it well then. How about...your girl? How happy is she?" David asked, looking over at Fitz.
"Ecstatic," Fitz replied. "So happy. She's waited...a really long time for this."
"I know she has. I'm so happy for you two, brother. I really am. It's about time you get to be happy," David said, smiling at him.
"Thanks, man," he said, nudging David's arm. "It's...it's still something I'm getting used to, if I'm being honest."
"How do you mean?" David asked.
"I know it sounds crazy, since it's been a while now. But...I'm still not quite used to...someone caring so much, and so hard. She is something I've never experienced before and I'm still trying to fathom how...I've got her. She looks at me with these…these big, loving eyes like I'm the best thing she's ever seen and...I tell you — that look, I'm just not used to it yet."
"Ohhh, that look," David said with a smile, thinking about his own relationship. "Yeah. That...adoration. I guess I don't quite know what it is, but it's good. It's...great."
"Yes. It's the best...fucking thing ever," Fitz said.
"God, tell me about it man," David agreed. "The things they can do, even with just one little look..."
"Yeah. Powerful," Fitz chuckled to himself.
"Powerful?"
"Yeah. Just...just a little inside joke we have," he laughed. "It started because...God, I'm trying to remember what it was exactly. There was something I did that...she said was powerful."
"Oh God. Do I want to know what exactly she thought was powerful?" David asked.
He blushed and shook his head. "Oh. Oh...God. No, I didn't mean it like that. It was something I said. I...swore in front of her for the first time, I think."
"Ahh," David chuckled. "Got it. Sorry. The way you brought it up had my head going elsewhere."
"That's okay. Based on uh...what she's expressed out loud...you wouldn't be wrong in that regard either," Fitz said, taking a sip of his beer lazily.
David looked at him and chuckled in awe, his own beer halting in front of his lips.
"Oh is that right, hotshot?"
"Yeah, that's right," Fitz nodded, although his cheeks were still flushed.
David laughed, as Fitz got out to tee off on the next hole.
"Not to overstep, but...since we're on the subject. I'm guessing...that aspect of your love life has...drastically improved as well?"
Fitz cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, yes. Drastically."
Davis chuckled. "Yeah. I figured. Good for you, buddy."
"Yeah. I've realized there's definitely a difference between...the two situations I've had in my life."
"Oh — you mean fucking someone out of convenience and when you need it, versus...fucking someone who you love and who loves you back?" David chuckled sarcastically.
"Yes," Fitz agreed. "I didn't know there was a difference. I was, uh...I was really wrong on that one."
"Yeah you were," David chuckled. "And I bet you're glad you were wrong."
"Hell yes," Fitz nodded, taking a practice swing. "Although, I had to learn what that meant too. Like...that it happens much more often than I thought — which is wonderful. And that...I also need to bounce back...much quicker. Impossible, yet...necessary?"
"Seriously," David chuckled. "The things we do for our women, right?"
"Yeah," Fitz chuckled. "I'm not complaining, though."
"Definitely not," David agreed. "Well, frankly, I hoped this was the case. Because like I said, your previous way of life was pitiful. And Mellie didn't deserve your time. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your buddy. I'm just saying it because you're a good dude."
"Thanks, brother," Fitz replied. "She's been good, though. She's...been great, actually."
"I know. And I'm glad...she's found her way, and changed some of her behavior. Although...I'm guessing that crazy, jealous side hasn't changed," David pointed out.
"Well," Fitz winced. "She's still not entirely comfortable talking or thinking about Olivia. But...I wouldn't expect her to be, either. However, she definitely isn't as jealous as she was when I initially told her. So she definitely has...grown."
"Oh, right. I remember — that was bad," David replied. "She hit you, didn't she?!"
"Yes," Fitz chuckled. "Hit me, called Liv a whore, and...acted like because I stepped outside our extremely dead marriage after we both suffered for ten years that I was some sort of...whore, myself."
David was cracking up.
"You. A whore," David chuckled. "Sorry. That's just funny."
"Yeah, I know. She was so mad — telling me that my coping mechanism was...screwing people. Like that was the...new me or something, fucking women left and right. As if her body count isn't...higher than mine. I have had sex with two women in my life for God's sake, David. Two."
David was cracking up. "Two women...that is...not a lot of women, brother," David said.
"No! It is not! Thank you," Fitz said, setting up for his real drive now.
David remained quiet so he could swing — and then both watched his drive sail far into the center of the fairway.
"Whew! Is anyone else seeing this guy?!" David asked, looking around. Of course, nobody was near them, but Fitz started to chuckle.
"Goddamn, I have my work cut out for me," David sighed, getting out of the cart.
He bumped knuckles with Fitz as they passed each other, which instantly reminded him of Olivia. It made him smile to himself as David tee'd off.
That hole was no different than any other so far that day — he played it well.
He had a beautiful chip onto the green from the rough — one that David didn't see because he was hitting his own ball. But Fitz sure saw it.
It felt good immediately coming off the club, and he held his position, watching it go high but short, as planned.
"Sit down, sit down," Fitz said, eyeing it as it dropped. It bounced a few times on the green and then slowed down, stopping near the hole.
He smiled to himself, walking up to the green since David was on the other side of the fairway with the cart currently.
When David caught up to him and it was time for them both to putt, David took the pin out of the cup and watched Fitz eye up his shot.
Fitz removed the glove from his right hand and stuck it in the back pocket of his golf pants. He crouched down behind the ball — holding his putter upright as he analyzed the slope of the green he had to work with.
It was probably about four or five feet from the hole, which was always much tougher to make than it appeared.
Regardless, he stood and set up for his putt, aligning himself by the ball.
After a few practice putts, he stepped up to putt it for real. And he sunk it.
"Fuck, was that for birdie again?" David chuckled, watching Fitz lean down to retrieve his ball.
"Yeah."
"Making me work for it today, Grant," David sighed, to which Fitz chuckled.
But, David sunk a very long putt just after that for a birdie of his own. That had both of them celebrating, as it was quite an impressive putt.
Fitz won the round of 18 holes, but only by about six strokes. David was a fantastic golfer — but so was Fitz.
And they had a great time. But after four hours of being on the course, he was ready to call it a day and head home.
Especially since he hadn't really had a free minute to himself the entire weekend. He'd had a great couple days, but there was still one person in particular that he had yet to talk to as he sat there in his car in the parking lot.
She answered after only a couple of rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi, mom," Fitz greeted.
"Well, hello there my boy! How are you doing?!" Jean asked.
"I'm great. How are you?" he asked.
"I'm wonderful. I was hoping to get a call from you this weekend!" Jean exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry I'm a little late. I haven't had a lot of time this weekend, so I figured I'd give you a call now. I just got done golfing with David," he said.
"No worries, son! I know you're a busy man. But that's always fun, I know how much you look forward to playing! How did you play?" she asked.
"I played pretty well today, actually. I shot a 76," he replied.
"Well my, my, son, that is impressive! I know that course is hard," Jean said.
"Yeah, it is hard. So I was really happy with that for today. David played well too."
"Good! Sounds like you've had a wonderful day so far then."
"Yeah. What about you, how's your weekend been?" he asked.
"Oh, same old same old. I planted a lot of flowers out in the garden yesterday, which was nice. The house is looking very pretty outside, which my eyes appreciate. Otherwise, I had brunch with my girlfriends this morning, and now I'm relaxing for the rest of the day!"
"Nice! That sounds great mom. I'm sure the house looks very nice," he nodded.
"Well, you better come on over soon, and you can see for yourself in person. How's that, my boy?" she asked.
"Sounds good to me! Will do," he chuckled.
She let out a content sigh. "Well. So. Tell me. Tell me how yesterday went, Fitzgerald!"
"It went well. Everything's...pretty much final now," he nodded. "It's strange, mom. But...it's great. It's freeing. And it's so long overdue."
"Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. I'm so happy to hear that, and I do agree that it was overdue. How have your girls taken it?" she asked.
"Karen's good. We prepared her beforehand, so she wasn't surprised or anything this weekend. And, she had a sleepover with Casey, so I think that also helped to keep her a little distracted for sure," he said. "And as for Olivia...she's happy. She's...very thankful that we handled it so well, and that Karen hasn't been too sad about it. That was her main concern. But...she's really happy, mom."
"I can only imagine. She loves you a lot, dear. Both of those girls. And I'm with Olivia here, I'm so happy that you handled it so amicably. I think everything you've been doing with Karen — being very open and answering all her questions — I think that's been perfect. She's not in the dark, and she's prepared. That was very much needed after all this time of being...uncertain."
"Yes. For sure," he nodded.
"Well, I'm so glad, Fitz. You deserve this. Now — how about that house of yours?" she asked.
He chuckled. "Well. It's not mine yet. I hope so though. It's still on the market, so I'm going to have my realtor put an offer in tomorrow. And...if all goes well, I hope things can move quickly."
"Oh, yes, me too. The pictures sure are beautiful, son. Things are...really starting to come together, aren't they, baby?"
He smiled to himself and nodded. Thinking back on the things that had recently been coming together.
Not everything. There were clearly still some things he had to figure out — his medication being one of them as well. But he wasn't going to focus on that right now, or bring down the mood.
Because truly, so many other things had gone well, and he was thankful for that.
"Yeah, mom. They finally are."
There you go, friends. Finally.
There are definitely still some important steps they need to take, but this was a big and meaningful one. And, some necessary conversations were had, too.
Unfortunately, though, Olivia is leaving soon. How do you think the two lovebirds will handle being in different states for a few months?
Thanks as always for the support.
Read on and stay safe,
~T