A/N: Hey, guys! Before reading my first one-shot, I want to clarify a few things.
First: the song (You Want to) Make a Memory belongs to Bon Jovi, my favorite band :D. I listen to it almost everyday on my way to work, and this idea had been haunting my mind for a while… so I finally decided to mix the two and write it down. Please, forgive any grammar mistakes that may appear, I didn't show this one to anyone. If you find any, please PM me and let me know.
Second: Also, I wanted to let you know that this isn't a normal song-fic, I mean, the verses I put don't fit with the song's tempo and reading time, but you should still listen to it while you read. This fic was inspired by the song's lyrics.
Third (and last): this is my first attempt at writing something a little steamier. Please let me know what you think… and if you don't like it, please be gentle. ;D
DISCLAIMER: Law and Order SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story is solely for entertainment and practice.
Beautiful Memory
It had been six months since the last time she saw him, and now she only saw him in her dreams. At first, they would call each other and talk for hours at least three times a week. When he got his new job as an FBI agent – which she still couldn't believe he accepted, since he hated the guys – that frequency was reduced to once every two weeks, and a while after that, when she got her promotion, to nothing.
Olivia was troubled. She thought that she should be more thankful to life… after all, she had a new job with twice the pay she made in the Special Victims Unit, which made her able to buy herself a new penthouse and she had been working out a lot, so she looked better than ever, physically. Inside, though, she felt like she was falling apart.
Even when Elliot left, at least she got to spend time with the rest of her SVU family. Fin became her second best friend and confident. Munch would always give her advice and Cragen started acting more like a father than her Captain. They were tiptoeing around her, like they were waiting for her to blow up at any minute. But she didn't, she managed to keep herself together.
When she was promoted, they threw a surprise party for her. When she entered the place and the blindfold came off, she hoped with all her heart that he would show up. But he never did; Fin told her he had called to invite him and couldn't reach him, so he left a voice mail. A few hours after that, he received his answer, when Elliot texted him he was on an assignment, so he wouldn't be able to make it. He didn't even bother to send congratulations to her, no matter how busy he was, 'Congratulations, Liv' is a nineteen-character-message, it would have cost nothing for him to text her that.
That's when she started trying to forget about him and move on, only to find it impossible. She had everything a woman could ask for, and she couldn't even let herself enjoy it, because she was lonely. Now, she didn't even see her friends anymore, she had been terribly busy since the first day on her new job.
She sighed, and started to prepare to leave for the day. She had stayed in the office, working late; she was the only one left. It was almost ten p.m., Friday night. Weekends were the worst, because she had free time to let her mind wander wherever it wanted to go. It was frustrating, and she didn't know how much more she could take living like this. Or, existing like this, totally empty.
As she turned off her computer, her cell phone bleeped. It was an incoming message, from Fin.
Hey, Liv. How are ya? I hope you're doin' OK. Look, we're gettin' together for a few drinks… it's Munch's birthday, remember? Come over here, same place as usual. There's someone I want you to meet. ;)
After reading that last part, she groaned out loud. The last thing she needed right now was to be set up for a blind date. As much as she wanted to see her friends, she wasn't happy about the prospect of being introduced to some jerk. But she really wanted to see them and she didn't want to fail Munch.
OK, Fin. I'll go. But you can forget about introducing me to some arrogant asshole, I'm done dating. Actually, I'm retired. And I won't stay too long, I'm really tired. I'll be there in a few minutes.
Whoa, OK. No dating. Relax, girl! But I woulda betted this guy could make you change your mind!
She laughed ruefully and answered him.
Fin, not even Jon Bon Jovi himself could make me change my mind. See you!
When she arrived, she stayed a few minutes in the car, retouching her make up. It was a weird thing to do, and quite unnecessary considering she wasn't planning to go home with anyone tonight. But something – maybe intuition – told her she should show up at her best anyway, so she did. When she entered the bar, she wasted no time spotting their table. She could tell from distance that Munch was already drunk.
"OHHH, LOOK WHO'S HERE!" he shouted loud enough to make everyone in the bar turn to stare at her. She blushed, and lowered her look to the floor until she got to their table and hugged him.
"Happy Birthday, Conspiracy guy!" She told him as she released him, and then, she scolded him "Did you have to make everyone notice me?"
"You don't need me for that" Munch replied, his speech a little slurred "you already command attention on your own. You look beautiful, Liv"
"Awww, thank you, Munch. I think you should stop drinking now!" she laughed. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see her former Captain. He hugged her tight and said.
"Hey, Liv. We miss you at the Unit. God knows I could never find a pair like you and…"
She interrupted him before he could say Elliot's name "I miss you, too, Don. I'm sure with training and experience our replacements will surpass our good work, you'll see. How have you been?"
"I'm OK, preparing to retire. And then, I'm taking a cruise to the Caribbean, give myself a present for all the hard work I've made during my whole life"
"That's fantastic! Believe me, I've been thinking about doing the same…"
Suddenly, she felt a finger tapping her shoulder. When she turned around, she was pulled into a bear hug.
"Hey, girl! You came! I'm so happy to see ya"
"Thanks, Fin. Although, your candidate almost made me change my mind. Please, I'm not in the mood to deal with some dense guy who'll not understand I'm not interested."
"Don't worry, I won't introduce you to anyone." he said as he leaded her to a chair. He smirked to himself and thought that won't be necessary, since you already know him… "Besides, he hasn't arrived yet, I don't know if he'll make it or not…"
They spent an hour talking, catching up. Some of them made tequila shots while playing some games. She opted today not to drink; she wasn't in the mood, so she was nursing a soda.
After a while, Fin had left her side to talk to some girl at the bar, so Olivia was sitting alone more bored and depressed than she had been in a while. The moment she was about to get up and tell everyone she was leaving, someone turned on the jukebox, filling the room with a familiar slow tune, a very romantic one. Who the hell would put a song like that in a bar? She thought. Lately, everything resembling romance pissed her off monumentally.
When she recognized the song, and how much it reminded her of Elliot, she knew she needed to get out of there fast, before her mood ruined completely and she said something she would regret to her friends. Right then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around to yell at whoever it was, she froze.
He sat in the chair Fin had vacated and set down a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table. Then he turned to her, fixing his piercing blue eyes on hers and said "Hey Liv."
She couldn't believe he was there, looking better than ever. He had a black suit, black shirt and grey tie, but what commanded her full attention was his ring finger. The band of gold was gone.
As if on cue, Jon Bon Jovi's voice started to sing incredibly fitting verses for that moment.
Hello again, it's you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
"Hey, El" she answered as he poured some wine on each glass.
Sippin' wine, killing time
Trying to solve life's mysteries.
"How are you?" he said after swallowing the maroon-red liquid.
Oh, there's so many ways I could answer that… It was a loaded question: she had been feeling like shit for six months, trying to resent him for leaving her, for making her fall in love with him, for not even showing up or call her when she was promoted… and it all came down to this moment of sheer happiness only produced by his presence.
Damn him! She couldn't believe that he could still affect her so badly, he shouldn't be able to… after all, she should be mad at him, but she couldn't… this man made her weak on her knees.
"I'm OK" she lied "And you?"
"Well… I'm not." He said curtly.
There was a huge iceberg between them after all this time, something totally uncommon for them. They had so many things to say to one another, and neither of them knew where to start.
How's your life? It's been a while
God, it's good to see you smile.
I see you reaching for your keys
Looking for a reason not to leave
"So…" they both started at the same time and chuckled at each other.
"You first…" Elliot said.
"How's the FBI treating you, Agent Stabler?" she asked with a beautiful and - maybe seductive? - smile.
"You wouldn't believe who I am replacing there…" he said with a smirk.
"Who? Someone I know?" she said, having a feeling she knew who it was…
"Porter. After the whole cartel problem, he was investigated and the Bureau found out he committed more acts of corruption from that kind… I remember I was so jealous of him, I can't believe I got his job, but not what I really resented him for…"
"I never understood why you where jealous of Dean…" she looked at him and found out he was staring at her too intently, she was thankful the bar was kind of dark or he would have been able to see her blush. She decided it was high time to change the subject. "So, how's your family?" she asked carefully.
He lifted his hand, showing her the absence of his wedding ring. "Soon after I left the unit, I found out I couldn't stand to be around Kathy the whole day. And when I became a Fed, I was more absent from home than when I used to work in SVU. Short story… we divorced. She's living in L.A. with her new boyfriend. Moved on incredibly fast" He finished with a rueful chuckle.
"And the kids?"
"All here in New York, except for Eli. He's with Kathy. I see him two weekends a month"
"That must've been hard for you" Olivia said sympathetically.
"The divorce? After that day in the unit, when the shooting happened… everything else was almost irrelevant. I see Eli whenever I can. Now, I'm married to the job."
"Where are you living?" Olivia asked almost scared, if he said Washington or anything far from New York, she knew she'd want to die.
"After some training in Virginia, and an undercover mission in San Francisco, I arrived here yesterday. My new residence is here, in New York, a few blocks away from the Bureau's HQ in this city"
She was almost relieved as she put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it affectionately. She smiled at him and said "Good."
"How about you, Liv? How's being the Chief of Computer Crimes in the whole district treating you?"
If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe,
There's nowhere else tonight we should be
You wanna make a memory?
She told him about her new place, the hours she put in overtime, how she didn't have time for anything anymore… not that she had plenty of it while working in SVU, but she was more busy, if possible.
"You've been working out" Elliot commented.
"How can you tell? You haven't seen me standing…" Olivia said, surprised.
"Don't have to…" he paused for a millisecond "You look beautiful."
Her eyes widened; Elliot had never told her a compliment like that before. Well, if he was going to flirt… then she'd flirt back. She was about to make some witty remark when she was interrupted by Fin.
"Hey guys, we're taking off. Have a good night! See ya!" he winked at Olivia and she realized then, Elliot was the guy Fin had told her about.
They talked for what seemed like hours over their glasses of wine, enjoying each other's companies like old times, but with a new spice. They caught each other up on everything going on in their lives; it was as if there wasn't anyone else in the room but them and the jukebox.
I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had
It's bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringing, I don't wanna ask.
She was laughing about some joke he told her, when her phone rang. She lifted it from the table and checked the caller ID, hesitating for a moment.
Elliot fidgeted his hands anxiously on the table, holding his breath, feeling a little nervous at the possibility of her calling it a night. Besides, he still didn't know if she was single, it could be some new boyfriend she just forgot to mention.
If you go now, I'll understand
If you stay, hey I've got a plan
We're gonna make a memory?
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I could write a couple lines
You wanna make a memory…
When she hit ignore, he was relieved. And this gave him the cue to ask her what he had been wondering since he entered the bar… after all, he had been set up, too, by Fin. He really didn't know she was going to be here.
"So, Liv… is there any guy…" he hesitated "Are you…are you seeing someone?"
"After you left, I dated a guy for a month, only to find out he's a jerk, so I dumped him…"
He sensed there was more to that story, so he pressed to know more "What happened? Did he do something to you? Tell me!"
"He's in jail anyway, so you can't go beat the shit out of him… he saw a picture of you in my apartment and he flipped out. He was a jealous-controlling-asshole… After I knocked him out, I called 911 to have him arrested for assaulting an officer"
"He's lucky I wasn't here, I would've killed him" he said, his neck vein throbbing.
She checked the time and it was late. "I should be going, El, I have to go to work tomorrow…" she hesitated, she wanted to ask him to come with her but the words wouldn't come.
Elliot noticed and said "Do you mind me going up for a while, have some coffee, like old times? So you'll be a little sleepy tomorrow, but it will be worth it… I really missed spending time with you, Liv."
She smiled and said, trying to conceal her excitement "Of course you can come over. I wasn't sure if you'd want to… now you'll check out my new place"
The ride to her home was quiet, except for the music coming from the stereo, as she drove her car and he followed her in his. Surprisingly, the same song came flowing from the speakers… could it be some kind of sign?
If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe,
There's nowhere else tonight we should be,
We should be
You wanna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I could write a couple lines
You wanna make a memory…
Soon, they were inside, sitting on the couch side by side, talking over coffee. It was two a.m. and neither of them wanted this night to end. After a while, they fell into a comfortable silence and Elliot took the chance to wrap his arm around her, making her readjust her position, snuggling with him.
"Mmm…" she sighed contentedly "You're comfortable." She took the chance this time and wrapped her arm around his waist.
Elliot chuckled and, surprisingly calm, he said "Liv… there's something I need to tell you… when Fin told me he would set me up with some girl tonight… I told him to fuck off, because I thought it would be some dumb blond rookie. I came anyway, because I missed the guys, but, above all, because there was that little hunch that told me you might be there. Thank God I listened to it or I wouldn't be having this great moment with this beautiful woman"
She lifted her head from his chest, looking surprised. "Yes, I meant you, Liv. I've always thought you were beautiful, and tonight… even though I thought it wasn't possible, you look even more beautiful than before. Because your beauty doesn't only come from your looks" he said as he caressed her face. Then he slid his hand down until he placed it where her heart would be "It comes from here, too. Please tell me that, if I give in to what I have always wanted to give you all along the last thirteen years, you won't reject me. Please, tell me that you feel something for me, too"
Her eyes filled with tears; for the first time in her life, she was happy. She was shocked to find tears in Elliot's oceanic eyes as well. "And what is it that you want to give me?"
"The happiness you deserve. All the love in the world isn't enough to make up for what you've been through all along your life, but… if you'd let me, Liv, I'll stay with you and cherish you, for as long as you let me. In case you haven't noticed, I love you, Liv, with all my heart. These months killed me, but I swear to God I couldn't reach you without putting you in danger"
Her tears started to fall mercilessly and Elliot brushed them away with his thumbs. She tried to speak but she couldn't, and after two failed attempts she just threw her arms around him.
Elliot held her for a moment and after a while; he put two fingers under her chin, lifting her face. Their gazes collided for a moment and finally, she said. "I-I… I love you, too, Elliot… you have no idea how much… since day one"
That was all he needed to hear as leaned in and kissed her with everything he had. Before they knew it, he made her lay all the way down on the couch, their hands tracing softly each other's bodies, loving, feeling. Elliot's tongue brushed against her lower lip, seeking entrance to her mouth, which she granted. That only brought them even closer than they were before, they were almost one.
They made out for a few minutes, but they wanted more. Olivia was the first to acknowledge it as she repositioned her right leg over Elliot's, making it clear that she wanted him even closer. He moaned against her mouth and glided his hand down her right shoulder, brushing her breast, down her stomach until he grabbed her leg, wrapping it tighter to him. Then he detached himself from her mouth, only to start spreading kisses down her neck, first nuzzling her ear, making a trail toward her chest. When he reached the hollow between her breasts, he stopped cold. What was he doing? Shouldn't he wait, at least, for a few dates before making love to her? This wasn't just any woman. She was the woman of his dreams, almost like a treasure. He didn't want to risk hurting her in anyway.
He raised his face from her form, supporting his weight with his arms, which were situated at each side of her. Olivia looked at him questioningly.
"What are you doing? You changed your mind?" she panted.
"No, Liv. I just wanted to ask you if you were sure… I don't want to ruin the beginning of the relationship with the first woman I've ever really loved because I couldn't keep my hormones in check. You mean the world to me; I'd wait as long as you want to… besides, I want to make the first time for us memorable, I mean, I want to make something for you that would take your breath away…"
She smiled to him with a look full of love "Elliot, no matter what, I won't ever forget this night. Everything you do for me, with me, is unforgettable. I don't need to be spoiled, El, I just need you. You're all I've ever wanted… our relationship won't be ruined if we protect, nurture and care for it. We are grown people… it's up to us." She paused, took a deep breath and continued "I trust you with my heart, my soul and my body, Elliot, do you trust me with yours?"
"Yes, you know I do. You're all I'll ever need." He punctuated his words with a kiss. Then, he proceeded to shower her face with little kisses for a while. A moment later, he raised his gaze again, and met her chocolate eyes with his blue orbs full of love and passion.
"So, Liv… you wanna make a memory?" He said and he kissed her, another mind-blowing kiss on her lips.
"You wanna steal a piece of time" he said as he lifted her up, carrying her slowly to her room.
"You can sing the melody to me" he continued as he laid her delicately on her bed and hovered over her. "And I could write a couple lines" he said as he started unbuttoning her shirt. When he brushed it off of her shoulders, he continued the trail of kisses he had started to make back when they were on the couch. Olivia couldn't wrap her mind around what was going on, she couldn't even move. Her body had stopped responding to her commands, it only answered to Elliot.
Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore and started to untie his tie, throwing it to her side. They chuckled briefly at that, Elliot's eyes never leaving hers. Then, she started unbuttoning his shirt. After the first three buttons, she started kissing his neck and then, down his chest as he moaned. Then she continued her path back up to meet his lips again.
After a while, he reached for her pants, easily tugging them off of her. He kissed his way up her right leg reaching her inner thigh, only to turn back down to repeat the motion with her left leg. When he reached her inner thigh again, she instinctively arched her body, making clear where she wanted this to lead.
He tugged his own pants off and settled back over her, unclasping her bra. He kissed her breasts, first one and then the other, taking his sweet time with each of them. He ran his hands down her whole body, committing every part of her to memory.
As soon as he eased up to take a breath, he slowly freed her from her panties, leaving her completely naked. He took a moment to admire her, and then he reassumed his wet kisses, first her lips, then down her neck, until her bellybutton. He was driving her insane and her breath hitched.
"Baby, just breathe" he said as he helped her bring his boxers down "there's nowhere else tonight we should be."
She nodded at him and he kissed her again, full of passion, till he finally entered her. It had been a while since the last time she had had sex. In a certain way it was the first time for her; she had never made love… that was all Elliot wanted to do: love her for the rest of his life. He finally found where he belonged. He waited a moment so she could adapt to his penis, kissing her behind her ear, and then shifting his eyes to look at this gorgeous creature. HIS beautiful woman. She smiled at him, her smile a mix of sexiness, adoration and lust. "I love you" she said.
"I love you, too, Liv" he replied with a husky voice he almost couldn't recognize as his own.
Then, she nodded for him to start loving her and he set an amazing pace, which slowly but surely built them up to a powerful climax. It was as if they had been lovers for years.
After a while, they were lying in bed, snuggling together, reveling silently in the happiness they both felt at that moment. Suddenly, Olivia broke the silence.
"I'll never forget this, El. You really made it memorable, this is, without doubt, the most beautiful and loving memory I'll ever had."
At that moment, he flipped her over, positioning himself over her. His hand cupped her cheek and she turned her head to kiss his palm. That small loving gesture filled his soul with glee.
"No, Liv." He said as he turned her face to kiss her on her lips. "I plan on making a lot more of those beautiful memories with you from now on… if you'll have me?"
Her answer was to pull him down to her for another kiss, she didn't need words to tell him how she felt, and she would just show him.
A/N: Please, review!