AN: Honestly just some fluffy Carisi (and hints of Rollisi)
"Slow morning, Cap?" Fin asked, setting his coffee down on his desk. He moved a stack of folders that he'd left out the following night, figuring out what to start with.
Benson nodded, looking at her watch. She flipped open the folder she was carrying, ready to start marking up the freshly-cleaned dry erase board.
"The most exciting thing this morning is Carisi coming to pick up some files for a case he's catching up on." She said, popping the cap off a black marker.
Rollins perked up at the mention of her old partner. It had been a while since she'd seen him in person, though they talked frequently via text.
"He was cleared to come back to work?" She asked.
"He was cleared to return to work a week or two ago. I think he's trying to work from home as much as he can until he has to be in the courthouse. I video chatted with him this morning and he seemed alright. A lot better than the past few weeks." Benson said, turning her attention to the notes.
"It was only a matter of time before one of us got it." Kat said.
"Still, I don't like the idea of Carisi having the virus. He's been living and breathing hand sanitizer since the pandemic started." Rollins said, frowning. She didn't like the idea of any of her squadmates or close friends having the virus, but it struck a particular chord when it came to their ADA.
As the morning progressed, it was slow. No new cases since a few days before, but nobody dared utter the Q word. Liv retreated back to her office to finish off some administrative tasks of her job, while the rest of the squad kept themselves busy as they waited for the phone to ring.
"Counselor, good to see you around walking and talking." Fin said, when the ADA strolled through the doors. He stopped to get his temperature checked, the black mask framing his face sharply. Carisi wasn't his normal self, usually dressed for the job with slicked back hair, a suit, tie, and more recently, what Kat called lawyer shoes. Today, he was casual in a pair of dark wash jeans and a dark t-shirt covered by a light green Henley hoodie. He was staring at his phone when he walked the familiar steps into the bullpen.
"Feeling any better?" Fin added as the temperature gun lit up green and the officer waved him on.
"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Fin." Carisi said softly. He looked tired, but the coloring was back in his face. His hair wasn't as slick as it usually was, with some greying pieces falling onto the side of his face. His blue eyes were bright.
"Casual Monday?" Kat asked, looking him over.
"No need to break out a suit just to come pick up some documents. I needed to get out of the house." Carisi said.
"Hey, I got you this when I heard you were coming. There was only one left when I went to the coffee cart this morning." Rollins said, reaching for a drawer in her desk. She pulled out a glass bottle of his favorite tea. He drank that whenever he didn't drink coffee.
Carisi's eyes lit up.
"You have no idea how much my morning has improved just by seeing that." He said, moving towards Amanda's desk, "thanks."
She smiled up at him.
He took off his mask, putting it gently around his wrist. It was a rarity people wear them inside the office nowadays anyway, he just wanted to be extra careful.
The gasps around him nearly made him spill the drink.
His normally clean shaven face was dark with several layers of dark brown hair. It was still technically on the shorter side for a beard and the lines of his jaw could be made out. However, he'd made it a priority to keep the facial hair to a minimum since his first few weeks at SVU.
"Whoa!" Kat said.
Carisi finished his swig and capped the bottle, "what?"
"You've got a beard."
He shrugged lightly.
"I've never seen you with facial hair before." Kat said, enthralled as if Carisi's dermis was the most interesting thing to cross their desk that morning. Though, if she was being honest, it probably was.
"Oh, Kat. He's had facial hair before." Fin said.
"He had a mustache when he first joined SVU. We printed some photos out as a joke during his going away party. I think I have them somewhere—" Rollins started, her face contouring an expression of confusion. Where had she put those photos?
"Rollins, I know where you live." Carisi deadpanned.
"Another time."
"It wasn't that bad." Carisi argued, shooting a look at Amanda.
"Oh, so it was a porn stache." Kat said, looking down at her phone that just beeped with a new message, "Thanks Fin!"
"This isn't bad though. What made you grow a beard?" Rollins asked, looking up at her old partner. She missed him in the last few weeks he'd been missing from the office. The new look was certainly not a bad one. It was a rarity to see him with any little bit of facial hair.
She briefly remembered the stubble that had grown on his face when he lived undercover at the homeless shelter a few years back. It'd been nice to look at then too.
"I just got lazy when I was sick. I haven't had a chance to shave it off. Barba and I are having a competition now. I'm gonna have to fly the white flag soon though." Carisi admitted.
"Why?" Amanda asked, a little too eager.
Carisi's eyes grew full of mirth at her outburst and he shook his head at her. So Amanda liked the beard, huh?
"I can't really have it in court," said Carisi. He turned away from the conversation when the door to the Captain's office opened.
"Hey, Carisi. Got a few minutes? I have those files for you and I need your input on something." Benson said.
"Sure." He said, moving across the bullpen to Benson's office.
"I can't believe it," Rollins said, staring through Captain Benson's open window.
"What?" said Kat, turning to see what her squadmate was looking at.
"That Carisi's got a beard."
"Oh, I know. Sorry to say this to you, but he looks...well he looks hot, I'll just say it. I don't think I've ever seen him in casual clothes before."
"Yeah, casual Carisi is a rarity. And why are you sorry? You're right." Amanda said, nodding her head in agreement.
"I'm sure you don't like when other people call him hot." Kat said, stating the obvious.
"Why would I care?" Amanda asked, confused.
"Well, aren't you and him-"
"No, of course we aren't. Well, I don't think-" Amanda said, stumbling over her words, "We aren't. I'm not sure what we…" She trailed off, trying to shift her attention to the DD5 form in front of her.
"Oh? Really? I thought you guys were SVUs most known secret."
"No."
"Well, if you wanna spend more time with him before he shaves the beard, you'll probably ask him. Fin said Carisi is due in court on Friday." Kat said.
"He's probably busy. I'm not sure he'd even be up for…" Rollins said, her voice trailing off.
"Maybe not for anyone else." Kat said, shooting her a look before looking back at the glass.
Suddenly, Benson's door opened and Carisi stepped out with Liv, chatting about whatever case was due in court on Friday.
"Make sure your taking time for yourself too, Carisi." Benson warned.
Carisi laughed but nodded gently. On his way back through the bullpen, he stopped at Rollins' desk.
"Thanks again for the tea," he said.
"No problem. Got everything you need?"
"I think so. I'm gonna go try to get this prepped. Then I gotta go sign my new lease."
"New lease? Finally moving to Brooklyn?"
He shot her a look.
"Think about all those artisan pickles." Rollins teased, shaking her head.
"What about Carisi's artisan pickle?" Kat said, chiming in to the conversation after she turned to answer her phone.
He was thankful for the beard because it covered the red blush that spread across his cheeks.
"I like Artisan pickles. And no, it's not Brooklyn. It's actually not too far from your place, few blocks maybe. I'm going to get the keys at five o'clock if you want the grand tour."
"Only if you come see the girls after. They've been asking about you way too much." Rollins replied.
He nodded at her, giving her a smile before reaching back to pull his mask on. He said he'd text her later and bid the squad goodbye before Kat turned to her.
"Most known secret to everyone but two people it seems."