When Rafael woke up in his empty hotel room bed the next morning, he wondered if he'd dreamt Olivia's visit to his room the night before. But his eyes drifted to the empty Forlini's containers and scotch glasses at the foot of the bed, and he sighed contentedly realising that it was indeed real.

Can I come back tomorrow?

Her voice, warm and inviting and lilting, still rang in his ears. He still could feel her lips pressed against his; the way she softly inhaled his scent, and closed his eyes to relive that moment, but quickly stopped himself before he could get carried away.

He'd enjoyed it; she certainly did as well - but whether he wanted to allow himself to enjoy it, he didn't know. They both were mourning. Emotions were running high. Surely the kisses were a by-product of their residual sadness and melancholy from the funeral and Heredio situation? Rationally, he had to write it off as them seeking whatever comfort they could in a moment of distress. Sure, they hadn't actually slept together again, but they'd still crossed a line, and he still hated the idea of getting between Olivia and Ed Tucker. They hadn't mentioned him at all, and he wasn't planning on bringing him up either. That was one minefield he thought neither of them particularly wanted to address.

But the gentle, yet authoritative way that Olivia had asked him about coming back today stirred something in him. He believed her. She wanted to come back - whether or not they'd ever kiss again, it didn't seem to matter. When she'd left, as abrupt as it was, he knew that she was telling the truth: that Noah was the real reason for her departure, not guilt or awkwardness. There was no remorse in her eyes - a far cry from her visceral and very furious reaction to realising that she'd woken up in his bed.

He recalled the fire he saw in her eyes; the desire she radiated when they crashed onto his bed that night. He could feel the love and tenderness in their kisses from just a few hours ago; the quiet intimacy of their embrace. Instead of self-doubt and uneasiness, he felt comfort wash over him.

It felt so, so wrong, but nothing could feel more right.

What's going to happen when Liv comes back? If she comes back? Will she want to talk about this? Should I bring it up?

So many questions, and absolutely no answers. Rafael forced himself to get out of bed before his train of thought overwhelmed him further. He brushed his teeth, washed his face and shaved with the most precision he had in months, and lingered in the shower for as long as he possibly could. It took a few solid minutes of feeling the lukewarm water rush over him for him to reach an epiphany: he wasn't going to bring this up with Olivia unless she did first. She was the one with the boyfriend, not him. She'd kissed him first once; he'd kissed her first once. If she wasn't going out of her way to avoid him again, he wasn't going to either, especially after that heartfelt discussion they'd had yesterday. This was the closest they'd ever been, and he didn't want to give that up.

Now all he had to do was hope that Olivia would keep to her word and return.

He got his answer a couple of hours later when his phone buzzed with a text from her as he was idly channel-surfing to distract himself.

Hey. Would come over today but things are busy here - missing kid in Times Square. So sorry about that.

He swallowed his disappointment, but realised quickly that she'd bothered to text to tell him about it and apologise. She clearly wanted to see him, and that assurance calmed him down slightly. At least he'd be able to channel-surf or idly browse the web in peace.

It's fine, Liv. Work calls. Don't worry about it.

Rafael was very surprised, to say the least, when he saw her reply, and couldn't resist a smile.

I did order something nice for you for lunch, though. Hope it helps with the captivity. Let me know when you get it.

I'll look forward to it. Thank you so much.

Sure enough, one of the uniformed officers outside his door knocked at exactly 12.15pm to hand him a brown paper bag. He'd ordered enough take-out to know that this wasn't a Postmates or Seamless order - there wasn't a receipt stuck to the outside. And when he pulled a familiar-looking box out of the bag and inhaled the familiar aromas of picadillo and Cuban coffee, he knew exactly what'd Olivia ordered for him. How she'd gotten delivery from the Bronx when the hotel was far, far out of its delivery radius, he didn't know, but he tucked into his meal with a massive grin on his face.

How did you get them to deliver all the way here? You're a miracle worker, Olivia Benson.

I have my ways, Counselor. (and a uni to drive up there for me.) Hope you enjoyed it. And that it makes up for me not being there.

It more than does.

Until recently Rafael hadn't talked to Olivia about either of their personal lives that much, and even so he usually was more than happy to listen to her talk about Noah, so he wasn't even sure how she'd found out about his favourite restaurant. He polished off the food in a matter of minutes, realising with some glee that his appetite had returned after a combination of last night's Forlini's take-out and Olivia's companionship. Suddenly, his unofficial quarantine in this room didn't seem so unappealing.

The food was delicious. Thanks, Liv.

The food was delicious. Thanks, Liv.

That was quick, she thought when she realised that he'd sent this message only fifteen minutes after he'd texted to say that the food had arrived. Thank goodness for unis she could trust with an errand like this when she couldn't leave her office. She still wished she could have delivered the food personally, especially after promising Rafael that she'd be back, but this would have to suffice until she had more time. At least he'd enjoyed it.

"Liv?"

Olivia looked up from her phone when she realised that Amanda was staring at her. "Yes, sorry about that. What is it?"

"I'm ordering Chinese. What do you want?"

"Fried rice with sweet and sour chicken, please," she replied without much thought. She regretted not asking the uni to get Cuban food for everyone, and not just Rafael. But would that have incurred suspicion? Maybe it was better for her to lie low.

Olivia assumed that was Amanda's cue to leave her office, but the blonde paused before she stepped out and smiled at her. "You look like you're in high spirits."

"Yeah," Olivia smiled back, although she didn't bother to elaborate. Was it that obvious? She certainly felt like she had a new spring in her step after the events of the night before - she had her best friend back, and they'd finally had a chance to talk about things between them.

Plus the kisses. Those damn kisses.

Of course she felt guilty about them when she thought about Ed. But she and Ed were on the rocks anyway. And she and Rafael hadn't gone as far this time, so at least she wasn't carrying around another massive secret. She didn't know if it happened in a moment of weakness, although her gut was telling her that they both wanted it. And the kisses were just one part of the bigger picture: the more important matter at hand was that she and Rafael were finally talking again, and she wasn't going to jeopardise that by bringing her issues with Ed into it again. Weak explanations, she knew, but she'd worry about that later. For the time being, she was going to let herself enjoy her friendship with Rafael Barba again.

"It's nice to see you happy, Liv," Amanda remarked casually, although Olivia knew her well enough to know that there was hidden subtext in what Amanda was saying. She certainly hadn't intended to spend so long in the hotel with Rafael yesterday morning, and the rest of the squad had definitely noticed when she rushed back in.

Still, Olivia didn't let herself be perturbed by Amanda's remark and that brief exchange in her office. They spent the rest of the day trying to reunite the lost child with his parents, Olivia letting her mind drift occasionally to the way Rafael had kissed her - so gentle and tender, yet confident. She felt her knees go weak as the memory filled her head; her heart rate increase. Of course I shouldn't be kissing him again, she admonished herself, although it was so difficult to resist when the memories left her wanting more. He'd held her in the precise way she longed to be held by Ed Tucker. He'd kissed her in the precise way she longed to be kissed by Ed Tucker. Ed wasn't the best with physical affection - it'd taken him a long time to feel comfortable with her, and he still struggled at times, although to his great credit, he did try his hardest. But she and Rafael had shockingly good chemistry, and it was like he knew her body inside out even though they'd gotten physical literally twice. She hated herself for letting herself indulge in this train of thought at all, especially when she and Ed were trying to work through their issues.

But then she remembered the heartfelt conversation she'd had with Rafael and their fear of losing each other, and suddenly she felt stupid for dwelling on the kisses or sexual chemistry. They'd been through some awful shit together, and she wasn't going to let them drift apart again. She could live without the sex, without the kisses - but definitely not without his friendship. Even her guilt wasn't enough for that. She'd happily resist further temptation to ensure their friendship would last this time. She had to resist.

Night fell and it was past 9pm by the time Olivia walked out the precinct doors. Lucy had to get home to prepare for a final, and she didn't want to keep the young woman from her work, but that meant that she officially didn't have time to squeeze in a visit to Rafael. He'd seemed perfectly content with the food, but she wanted to make sure. As she drove up Amsterdam Avenue, she dialled his number and wasn't surprised when he picked up after 2 rings.

"Liv," he started. She could almost hear his smile, and some of the tension and stress she'd been carrying around that day fled her body immediately.

"Wow, I get to hear my name instead of just 'Barba' - I feel special."

"You are special."

His tone was snarky and lightly teasing like it usually was, but Olivia's cheeks still turned a tomato red. She was grateful that he wasn't around to see her reaction. "I'm glad you enjoyed the food."

"Of course I did. Thank you so much. Anything interesting I need to know about?"

"Lost child from out of town. We got him back to his parents. Don't worry, you're not missing anything. And I'm sorry again for not being able to make it today," she added apologetically. The nagging guilt she'd been suppressing all day came back in full force when she heard herself say that - not seeing Rafael, even for just 24 hours, was getting to her, especially after she'd promised to visit her friend while he was still in captive. "I wish I could drop by, but I need to let Lucy get home..."

"Liv," he gently interrupted her. "It's fine." His tone was forgiving and understanding, and she felt herself relax. "You've already made my day with the food."

"I'm so glad to hear that," she beamed. "Hope you're holding up fine."

"All's good here, I promise. Get some rest, you deserve it. And..." he added rather nervously, "... I'll text you tomorrow? Just to let you know I'm okay?"

This nervousness was so uncharacteristic of him, but she took it as a good sign. They finally felt comfortable enough with each other again to be vulnerable. "Okay," she smiled. "Sounds great. You rest well, too."

"Goodnight, Liv," he whispered. She knew she'd be replaying that in her head when she got into bed later that night.

"Goodnight, Rafael."

Olivia's heart fluttered despite her best attempts to remind herself that she was dating Ed Tucker, not Rafael. It suddenly dawned upon her that she hadn't made a personal call to him before. Even though she hadn't seen him or felt his touch that day, his gentle tone still felt like a hug from afar and soothing balm after a long day.

Guess there's a first time for everything.

She liked the direction their friendship was going in. It'd taken a series of tragedies to unlock this, but better late than never.

And she had texts from him to look forward to the next day.

The next couple of days proved to be far busier than Olivia had initially expected, which completely ruined her plans to check on Rafael while he remained stuck in that hotel room. Commanding officers from across the city has been summoned for some routine pre-summer briefings at 1PP, which she'd completely forgotten about until she received a reminder email, and she spent most of them anxiously tapping her pen against the desk while she waited for the occasional text update from Rafael. Clearly the BX9 members hadn't tracked him to the new hotel, and the Gang Unit was close to apprehending the two masked men who tried to break into his condo, so she rested a little easier knowing that he was safe there. However, she still wished she could carve out some time to check on him and keep him company, especially when he couldn't leave the room.

By the time the last of 1.5 arduous days of briefings had wrapped up, all she had was time for was some quick take-out from Chinatown - Rafael had a weakness for the dumplings from Vanessa Dumpling House - and drove to Midtown before she had to be back at the precinct. She'd handed the food to Rafael with lightning speed, with barely enough time for a chat, and rushed off, which made her feel guilty although she knew he wouldn't hold it against her in any way. Thankfully, his grateful smile had assured her that he wasn't bothered by her having to go back to the precinct so quickly.

Perhaps she'd finally have time to see him tonight, she thought, until Fin intercepted her as she walked back into her office after lunch. "Ed Tucker dropped by just now and asked for you. I told him you were out. He wanted to remind you about dinner tonight, 6pm."

"Oh, f..." She caught herself before she let that word slip out, but the reminder hit her like a freight truck. "I forgot about that." How could she have forgotten? All her plans for the evening washed down the drain in seconds. She hadn't seen Ed in a couple of days, which was quite typical for them before the Rafael debacle, which probably explained why she hadn't thought about dinner.

"Need me to cover for you while you get an outfit?" Fin offered. "The restaurant he mentioned sounds... fancy," he added cynically, eyebrows raised.

Really just a synonym for "unaffordable", she thought. Ed didn't want to pass up the reservations he'd made for at this upmarket mod-French restaurant months ago, but even that didn't seem like a good enough reason on its own to blow four hundred American dollars on one meal. She secretly feared that Ed had organised this to win back her favour - something she'd explicitly told him not to do - or worse, that he'd spring some big news on her. Expensive restaurants usually were for life-changing announcements, right? She really hoped that wasn't his plan, especially if it involved a ring.

Olivia smiled at Fin - he always had her back, both personally and professionally - but shook her head. She didn't have time or energy to run to 5th Avenue for a new dress anyway. "I'm good. Just gonna wear the back-up dress in my locker," she replied casually.

Fin knew exactly which one she was talking about because he'd seen it countless times. Black, sleeveless, timeless. So timeless that she'd probably kept it since 2005. She kept it on hand in the precinct for all last-minute events and often, it worked. But it was simple. It didn't seem like the type of dress to wear to a Michelin-starred restaurant, but what did he know about women's fashion, or heck, Ed Tucker and Olivia's relationship? He eyed her suspiciously - something was telling him that she wasn't looking forward to this date. "Liv, everything okay between you and Ed?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine." Her mind was clearly a million miles away, but he didn't probe - if Olivia Benson didn't want to talk, she really didn't want to talk. She opened her laptop and rifled through the papers on her desk. "Thanks for talking to Ed when I was gone."

Something did feel odd between her and Ed, but he chose to leave with some kind words instead. "As long as you two are happy together, Liv. I don't care about anything else. Have a good time later."

Even if he wasn't privy to any of her recent issues, she appreciated the sentiment. "Thanks, Fin."

He turned and walked away like nothing had happened. This was one of her favourite things about her long-time friend - he didn't make a big deal out of things that she didn't want to blow up. That freed up some bandwidth for her to contemplate that evening's told herself to keep an open mind about dinner. It was extravagant, yes. Deeply unnecessary, yes. But if she and Ed were going to try and make things work, she needed to put in her fair share of the work too, and she could at least try to enjoy this meal.

Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her seat and skeptically eyed the confusing concoction on her plate: foam, blobs of gelatinous sauce, and what looked like zucchini. Many things about this restaurant - the electronic music, velvet upholstery, tiny portions of unrecognisable and "artistic" food, and too-polite staff - made her wish she could retreat to the Village for dollar pizza. They'd been here over an hour and she was barely full, plus they'd caught a case that afternoon and she didn't even have time to change into her back-up dress. It was only at Fin's urging that she'd let him handle things and hadn't cancelled the date altogether.

She felt very underdressed in her slacks and button-down blouse, especially compared to Ed, who was in his best suit and sipping from his wine glass daintily. The beer-loving IAB captain certainly had cleaned up for this very out-of-character date. This was exactly the kind of restaurant that people like Trevor Langan and Rita Calhoun frequented. People decked out in designer garb, with money. How exactly Ed Tucker could afford this, she didn't know, but he'd quickly shut down any enquiries and implored her to let loose for an evening.

"How's the food, Liv?"

He was studying her face closely, just like he'd always done when investigating her or her squad or something or other in the IAB interview room, and she plastered the most convincing smile she possibly could on her face. "It's... interesting," she managed. Restaurants like these were the very reason she avoided exploring the city's gastronomic scene unless she received a recommendation from someone she trusted. Like Rafael Barba, although she obviously didn't let Ed know about that.

"I know that this isn't quite what we usually do, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity, you know? I put us on the waiting list months ago." Ed smiled at her apologetically for the umpteenth time that night. They'd both agreed after Dodds' funeral that these artificially romantic, schmaltzy dates weren't doing their relationship any good, and he definitely felt the need to justify their presence at this very restaurant once every 10 minutes. She nodded understandingly in a futile attempt to assuage his guilt and tried to decode the mystery dish with her eyes before prodding at it with her fork.

The tables surrounding them were occupied by couples, many of them obviously happy to enjoy a night out together and leaning in in serious conversation, which only made Olivia feel more self-conscious about the way she and Ed were staring at each other across the table in an awkward silence. She couldn't help but wonder what Rafael was doing in his hotel room - hunched over his laptop, maybe? Perhaps he was watching HBO while lying in bed in his pyjamas and eating take-out from Cava. In any case, he probably was having a better time than she was having.

"Liv. You okay?" Ed reached for her hand and took it in his while the staff served dessert. Olivia didn't resist, and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw what was being served. The tiramisu looked tempting - it was probably the most appetising thing she'd seen all evening - but she was distracted by Ed's trembling fingers. What did he have to be nervous about?

Damn it.

He looked her right in the eye and took a deep breath. "Liv, there's something important I want to tell you."

Shit.

His eyes shifted awkwardly towards the lapel of his jacket while Olivia covered her confused face with her wine glass. "I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few days. You mean the world to me, and I've been thinking a lot about our next chapter together. So... "

Oh, FUCK - he'd better not be proposing!

"I've decided to leave IAB."

Olivia almost spat out her wine. Thank God he hadn't just pulled out a ring, but… what?

"You're leaving IAB?" she repeated incredulously, and a little too loudly, which elicited a couple of annoyed glares from the well-dressed diners at the neighbouring tables.

"I put my papers in. Hostage Negotiation has an opening. I'm thinking of going for that." Ed smiled resolutely and tightened his grip on her hand, but loosened it again when he saw the shock and horror on Olivia's face. "Liv..."

She pulled her hand away from his and rested it in her lap. "This is... a lot." Where even could she begin with this? "Why are you leaving?"

"I've been thinking about this since what happened... with Barba," he explained calmly, although he stumbled over his mention of Rafael's name. "At the funeral, I realised I can't spend the rest of my life obsessing about whether or not a cop is lying to me. And I know it's made things... difficult... between us." He obviously was referring to the countless times they'd butted heads professionally over the years, including the time he'd investigated her for murder. "I think it's time I move on."

Olivia had to bite her lip to physically prevent another outburst. This was too much for her to process in public. She stared at her tiramisu - was that a green tiramisu? - and then at Ed. "We're going to talk about this, but not here. We'll talk in the car later."

Ed looked like he was about to throw up, but nodded reluctantly and picked at his dessert. The awkwardness hung heavy in the air all through dessert and him paying the check. Olivia felt like a petulant child throwing a tantrum as she averted eye contact with her boyfriend, but she didn't know what else to do that didn't involve making some sort of mini-scene in this hell-scape of a restaurant. In all the years she'd known Ed Tucker, IAB seemed like such an integral part of his identity that him leaving was unfathomable. She even was liking the fact that she was making things work - or at least, trying to - with someone she'd previously had bad blood with. People were more than their jobs, as much as she had difficulty living that out herself, and she was proud of herself for getting over all her professional drama with Ed. For him to leave - partly for her sake- left a sour taste in her mouth.

And why hadn't he told her about this change at all? Surely any reasonable person would consult their girlfriend before making such a huge career change? Instead he'd chosen to spring the surprise on her in the middle of a crowded restaurant, at the end of a long day at work.

At least he hadn't proposed.

When they finally got into his parked car outside, they stared at the dashboard, Olivia quietly seething, until she turned to him to break the silence. "Ed, I really don't know where all of this is coming from." Her mind was racing with questions. Why leave? Why leave now? Is this official? Where is he going now? Why didn't he breathe a word about it to me?

He answered without looking her in the eye. "I've been thinking about this a lot, Liv. All these issues we've been having - I think I need to make a change..."

Olivia sighed. This was exactly what she'd feared - Ed doing too much to overcompensate for their ongoing problems. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this before you put in your papers?"

"Because I knew you'd react exactly how you're reacting now. I made up my mind. This is what's best for us. I had to do it."

"You didn't have to do anything, Ed. Especially not without talking to me about it first! And you can't shut me out of a discussion about what's best for us. There are so many ways we can work through our issues, all of which don't involve quitting your job!"

"You didn't "talk to me first" when you slept with Barba, Olivia," he snarled. Guilt instantly crossed his face - he definitely knew that it wasn't going to help, but he didn't bother to correct himself either.

Olivia resisted the urge to fire back. "That was a mistake that I apologised for and still feel guilty about. I'm not blameless here, but we can't fix our problems if we're not acting like a team!" She folded her arms and tried to collect herself before this continued - their voices were getting louder by the second, and the confined space of the car suddenly felt suffocating. "Didn't we both agree that we'd sort this out together? No more grand gestures. We were going to work through this slowly. I never wanted you to leave IAB, Ed," she asserted, now more calmly than before. "It makes me uncomfortable that you said you left partly for my sake. Our sake."

Following her cue, Ed leaned back in his seat and ruminated over his response before opening his mouth again. "I know it's made things difficult between us, Liv. And after what happened with Barba, I just thought... you needed to be with someone you can trust. Not someone who's out to get you."

"I wouldn't have chosen to be with you if that was a problem for me, Ed!" she retorted, feeling her face grow hot again. "Of course we've had a... difficult time in the past, but if I had a problem with that, we wouldn't be here today. The problem we've having now isn't IAB. The problem is us. Things between us don't feel natural, and you... quitting IAB just like that without telling me is the epitome of the problem. We can't be doing things like these without talking to each other first."

Olivia was taken aback when she realised that Ed was genuinely shocked by her revelation. Had they really been communicating that badly? The hurt on his face was apparent. "I really thought you wanted me to leave IAB. I thought that you'd never trust me fully because of my job. So I decided to leave it behind."

"I never wanted that for you or us, Ed," she clarified firmly. "IAB wasn't the reason for any of the problems we've had - Barba, all this. I already told you that the situation with Barba was just a heat-of-the-moment mistake after we fought about the investigation. It's not on you or about your job. We've had our professional disagreements, but I would never ask you to leave the job you've held on to for so long. Especially when it's such a big part of who you are."

"Why can't you just see that me leaving is what's best for us? You can deny it all you want, Olivia, but I know that you'll never be fully comfortable with my job and I don't want that. This is for the best."

"I've worked hard to separate your job from who you are and I'm happy with that, Ed. Now I'm going to feel guilty about this forever. I don't know what's truly best for the both of us, but surely it's not a decision that one person makes before talking to the other. Now we're going to have to deal with more change."

Neither of them quite knew what to do next. Ed hadn't turned the engine on, and they stewed in the uncomfortable silence until Olivia's mind wandered to the NYPD HR department and the bureaucracy that came with it. "Is there any way you can reverse this?" Maybe he could have his job back before he got too deep into the transfer process, and this discussion would be moot. That possibility brought great relief to her.

Her heart sank when Ed shook his head. "They started processing the paperwork today. I've been asked to consider new postings."

Fuck, she cursed under her breath. Now the two of them were going to have to live with this looming over their heads. There was so much she needed to talk to him about - including this misunderstanding of epic proportions - but she didn't have the clarity of mind or mental energy to sit with him in his car for another hour. This made even the conversation they'd had about Rafael feel trivial in comparison - the tension was so thick that they could cut it with a knife. "I think we both need to call it a night and talk again tomorrow when we've cleared our heads."

"I'll drop you off at home." He started the car and fastened his seatbelt without looking at her.

"No. Drop me off at the precinct. I'm going to grab some case files before I head home."

Ed didn't bother to question her decision, and he drove her to the precinct in yet another awkward silence. The squad room was empty, and she realised quickly that staying in her office alone wasn't the way she wanted to spend the rest of the night. She needed a distraction; some companionship, even laughter.

There was only one place to go.

A visibly surprised Rafael opened the door seconds after Olivia knocked.

"Hey, sorry to show up here so late. Can I come in, please?" she asked sheepishly.

"Of course." He realised immediately that she was holding a familiar-looking white box. "Pizza, huh?"

"Let's just say my dinner was less than satisfying, and all I want is real food." She threw her work bag to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed to open the pizza box. "Want a slice?"

"I've already had dinner, but one can't hurt." He grabbed a slice for himself and sat down next to her on the bed. "So... what brings you here? Where's Noah?"

"At home with Lucy. I asked her to stay the night," she said matter-of-factly, hoping that Rafael wouldn't press her on that. Lucy staying the night meant only one of two options: either Olivia was working late at the precinct or she had a date, and clearly it wasn't the former. And judging by the pizza and case files she had in her bag, the date hadn't gone well.

"I'm flattered that you want my company," he quipped casually, although his heart was racing. He was overjoyed to see her, even if he wasn't going to admit it openly, which overrode his curiosity about what'd happened with Ed - clearly something bad enough that Olivia felt the urge to seek Rafael out.

"Was I interrupting something?" she asked when she noticed his open laptop on the desk. "I brought case files. I can sit here and not bother you if you'd like."

"No, not at all. I'm not officially back at work until tomorrow. Bother me all you'd like." He shut his laptop and turned to her with an inviting smile. Olivia kicked off her boots and made herself comfortable. The non-food at the restaurant and argument that followed had left her ravenous, and she couldn't be more grateful for the simple joy of pizza and a friend to talk to as she ate it.

"I will never understand why people of your breed," she said sarcastically, while chomping unglamorously on her slice of pizza, "enjoy eating at these fancy new restaurants that put "artisanal" foam on every dish. I couldn't even tell what I was eating half the time."

"Excuse me, but you've confused me with Trevor Langan. I'm more of a gourmet sushi connoisseur," he teased, which elicited a playful eye roll from her. He couldn't imagine Ed Tucker, of all people, scouring the Zagat guide for a romantic place to bring Olivia to, let alone anything as extravagant as what she was implying. It sounded like a restaurant he'd once been to with some Harvard friends, and certainly wasn't in a police captain's typical price range.

"Sushi, huh?" The cheeky grin she wore on her face and the way she'd triumphantly stuffed her pizza slice in her mouth made him chuckle. This was a side to Olivia Benson he'd never seen before, and he loved it. He'd never seen her this unguarded, this at ease, and he almost dreaded going back to work because he wouldn't get to see her this way that often. She finished the rest of the slice she was holding and collapsed onto the bed without asking for his permission, although he didn't protest.

"Am I an asshole for being so ungrateful for dinner?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, most people I know would jump at the chance to have dinner at a restaurant like that, but I'm sensing this isn't so much about dinner as it is about what happened when you were eating. Do you want to talk about it?"

Olivia gave his offer serious thought. This was the most unoccupied and relaxed Rafael had been in a while - they didn't often have time for personal discussions - and he seemed perfectly alright with listening to her ramble about her problems. At the same time, however, he probably wasn't the person to discuss Ed Tucker with. Their reinvigorated friendship was still in its infancy, and she wasn't about to get him invested in her romantic life when he was partly the reason it was in shambles.

No, she wouldn't risk it. But she did want to talk to him about literally anything else.

"I don't really want to talk about it..." she muttered, and Rafael didn't press her for more. "But I'm up for anything - literally, anything - to distract me. Is there anything good on TV?"

"I channel-surfed not long ago and it was pretty disappointing. But I do have something else." Rafael stood up and made his way to the desk, where he picked up a small black box that Olivia soon realised was a Bluetooth speaker. "We can put some music on. Hand me your phone."

"Why?" Before she could protest, he'd snatched her phone from her hand and was looking through her iPod. "Olivia Benson, you don't have any music on your phone?" Rafael asked incredulously. There was nothing in her Music folder. No Spotify. No Apple Music. Nothing.

"I don't have time for all of that. I just listen to the radio once in a while."

"You're missing out." He paired his own phone with the speaker and hit shuffle on a playlist titled "Unwind". Within seconds, a stirring Spanish ballad piped through the speakers, and Olivia's jaw dropped to the floor when she heard Rafael sing along. He could sing.

"This is keeping me sane in the afternoons," he remarked between verses. "Along with Candy Crush."

"I ought to call Jack McCoy and ask him to put you back to work, Counselor. You - Candy Crush? Thought you were more of a Vonnegut person."

"I'm already at Level 150. Even ADAs have lives, Olivia. We all could use a little levity - especially now."

Olivia realised quickly that she hadn't carved out much time for herself of late. Even playing with Noah didn't really count, because she expended much of her mental energy fretting about his language development and health issues, which didn't bring her much respite from the stresses and horrors of her job and her ongoing problems with Ed. She was shocked that it was Rafael Barba, of all people, reminding her that she needed a break once in a while.

She could heed his advice and let loose for a couple of hours before she headed home. There was a lot she didn't know about him, she realised, as she watched him sing along to the song on the speakers, and she liked seeing this side to him.

And yes - this was exactly where she needed to be on a night like this.

"I don't understand why you're so against the idea, Ed. You won't even consider it?"

The tiny FaceTime window at the corner of her laptop screen was slightly grainy (the precinct wifi needed some upgrading), but she could make out Ed's clear disdain. "I'm not sure what talking to him for an hour about what we've already argued about is going to do."

Olivia frowned back. "Come on, at least give it a try. Dr. Lindstrom's popular and it's hard to get a slot with him. We were lucky to get an appointment next week and not in a month. You know how much he's helped me. I'm sure he can help us sort through everything."

"I'm just not comfortable with it, Liv," he repeated for the third time since they'd started the conversation. "I know he's helped you, but it's going to be different if both of us are there."

"At least consider it before I call him back," she replied imploringly.

His tone remained firm. "I'm pretty sure my answer is still going to be no. You can go ahead without me."

Olivia didn't hide her annoyance any longer. "Didn't we say in the car last night that we both need to try to fix things?"

"So, you're accusing me of not trying?" he snapped back.

Of course Ed had tried. He'd just been trying in all the wrong ways. Quitting his job wasn't her idea of a sustainable solution, and it'd clearly already backfired, judging from his irritated expression. She wondered how she was going to put this across to him in the most diplomatic way possible, lest they erupt into a full-blown FaceTime argument in the middle of the day, but before she could complete that thought, she looked up and saw Fin and Sonny approaching her office, and it looked urgent.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," she quickly said to defuse the tension. "Ed, I really need to go now. We'll have to talk later."

"Okay," he muttered half-heartedly. She closed the window just as Fin and Sonny emerged in the doorway, and quickly composed herself.

"Good news from the Gang Unit. The two guys who tried to break into Barba's apartment have been arrested. He's safe to check out of the hotel and go home now. We're going to pick him up."

"That's great!" Olivia quickly forgot about her tiff with Ed and smiled genuinely. Finally, an end to one of her main causes of concern. Hopefully things would feel more normal when Rafael finally got back to work. Suddenly, she wasn't dreading this summer as much as she had been before.

A few frantic knocks interrupted Rafael's reverie. He lowered the volume on his laptop and rushed to the door.

"I'm coming, Liv!" he called out, but he looked through the peephole and realised that the people standing behind the door were not Olivia Benson.

"Fin, Carisi... hi." They looked uncharacteristically jovial.

"Good news. Gang Unit and Threat Assessment said it's safe for you to head home," Carisi announced. Barba thought it was Olivia, Sonny noticed, but he decided not to think about it until the ADA was safely in his own apartment. "Gang Unit picked up the two guys who tried to break in. They confessed."

Rafael stared at them in a stunned silence - was this really happening? He'd gotten so used to this room, and to Olivia's care and concern, that going home felt like a rude return to reality.

"Yes, Barba, you can head home now, unless you love this place so much you want to move in," Fin quipped. "Get packing, we'll drive you back to Park Avenue."

For the next fifteen minutes, he hurriedly swept his belongings back into his suitcase - T-shirts, sweatpants, case files. The almost-finished bag of pretzels. The now-empty bottle of scotch. Somehow it felt unwise to leave it behind. He gingerly wrapped the new glass she'd bought for him in one of his T-shirts and tucked it carefully between layers of clothes - a reminder of the new milestone in their friendship.

Rafael took one last, long look at the room he'd made his temporary home, and let Fin and Carisi drive him back to his real home. He thanked his lucky stars that Carisi had chosen not to be chatty that afternoon, and turned his attention to his phone, smiling when a new message from a familiar name arrived.

Heard you're finally going home. Congratulations.

He was so excited that he struggled to think of something witty to send back to her, but he didn't have to when he saw her follow-up message.

Celebratory dinner? On me?

Rafael spent the rest of the car ride hiding his ear-to-ear grin.