This was a very bad idea. It always was whenever Iris was around Olivia. It's not like he seen them often together but when he had heard about her whether it was a story or if she had joined them at the bar over the years to meet Olivia after work it was always a...unique experience.
She was Olivia's friend from college. They lived in the same apartment complex during the last two years at the academy.
Iris studying pre med at the nearby university not far away from where Olivia had been in her senior years. They couldn't have been more different in so many ways but both loved to play with fire, to gravitate towards danger and run at it head on with a fearless attitude about life.
Both of them professionally dedicated themselves to the public, to others so he could see the connection with their work ethic.
Strong women, totally unapologetic and when they were together brought out a more playful side of each other.
For as much as Iris grinded his gears he was glad his partner had a friend in her life that got to see the outside of the dark world they shared. A side of her he barely got to see.
It's been years since he seen her and she looks fucking great. Her smouldering gaze only amplified by the dark make up around her light green eyes, a pouty glossy wet smirk across her lips with her long light brown hair in a ponytail hitting the middle of her back. She was fucking trouble.
Not quite Elliot's type but he's seen almost every head in the bar turned when she made her entrance, something he's seen his partner do on many occasions too.
But it's been years since they've gone for a drink all of them together. He always had somewhere to be, things to do, obligations to fulfill.
Iris hasn't been in the bar for more than an hour and Fin already looked half in the bag from doing shots with her. His arm draped over her shoulders laughing. She was likeable, intelligent but she had no boundaries.
She scared him if he was honest so he kept his distance for the time being, watching her work the room, waiting for his partner the guest of the hour to arrive. He was still surprised she was successfully persuaded to celebrate her birthday alone,
Never mind a night of drinking. He knew she had a social life, one that allows her to come and go, to explore, to entertain and to be entertained outside the horrors of their day.
But they just hadn't done it together.
In the early years of their partnership they would share beers on the bench of the yearly softball tournament before heading to their respective homes but he always had somewhere to be. She always had her home and her life and he had his and they contrasted greatly. Now it's different. Now he's just about divorced. Now he has nowhere to be tonight but here.
Olivia was supposed to meet them at the bar after work but she had a stop to make
first she mentioned. What she didn't mention was that her longtime friend from Seattle by way of Costa Rica after a couple years doing a residency in Seoul -would be joining them straight from the airport.
They take over the tables at the back end of the bar with booths around them occupied. The music seems to be getting louder which he is sort of grateful for. Not being in the mood for small talk right now after a long day at work, the noise and the buzz feel good to him as he sucks back on his beer.
It is still taking time getting used to this new role, this new way of life he had to adapt to being. He's single now and while his devotion and love for his family is paramount to anything in this world, it's the first time in his life he's ever been alone at the end of the night.
From his large family home filled with siblings to signing up for the military right to his first home with his pregnant young wife he was never alone single and alone. It took getting used to. The freedom that came with it was something he found himself struggling with.
Rules always kept him so grounded whether it was his strict Irish upbringing or the vows he made with his wife or the job - there were always restrictions. Now theres just so much unknown for him to get used to as he feels more and more out of place as the bar fills with its patrons oblivious to his discomfort.
Kathy didn't have to get used to it. It wasn't until he was out of the house for a few weeks she confessed to him he had begun to develop feelings for another parent they would see from time to time. That they hadn't put in the effort into fixing what was broken and she didn't see any initiative on his part either which he couldn't disagree with.
In that time of distance between them it brought her closer to someone else and he couldn't blame her and he didn't. A random divorced dad they would see at meetings and track meets. Filling Elliots old role and he should be more mad but he isn't.
"Where's our girl?" A soft voice purrs in his ear barely a whisper above the music in the background, breaking his train of thought.
"Doctor, I didn't expect you here tonight," he says over his shoulder as he grabs his beer from the bar and tosses his tip on the counter before turning to her.
She is standing really close but is facing the door, looking out for Olivia he knows that because its what he is doing too.
"What can I say I really missed Liv and New York too. Didn't want want another birthday to go by where we didn't see each other," she smirks and looks down at his t shirt and jeans. "Doesn't hurt seeing you here either," she is shameless in looking him down. Iris wasn't shy and she had told Olivia over the years how attractive she found her friend and partner.
How she didn't get it yet how nothing happened, how Olivia barely even acknowledged to her, her own attraction towards Elliot. Iris loved poking at it. Harmless but something she knows put both her longtime best friend and her partner on edge which was part of the thrill to Iris.
One would never know she just got off a 12 hour flight with layovers in between, she looks so effortlessly put together with a low cut black blouse tucked into a pair of tight ripped jeans paired with heeled black boots.
"Here I thought you missed me," he teases back, he doesn't mind her at all. It's just that he isn't sure of what her and Olivia have in common these days. Maybe it's just that he doesn't know all that much about the woman he spends most of his time with. Not like the curvy little mouth piece she calls her best friend who hasn't been in the same country as her in years.
Before she can say anything back to him the very woman they share in common walks in to the bar.
"Wow..." her friend says as she nudges Elliot in the ribs and smiles as Olivia notices them and makes her way over but not before getting stopped by Fin as he makes his way over to almost instantly.
Olivia must have changed at home and ran back over because there was no way she had that in her locker.
Skin tight black leather pants and a soft beige silk blouse with a ruffled neck that dipped into her tanned cleavage.
Long gone are the boots she wore all day because now she has on animal print heels that look pointy and dangerous.
They are the ones with the red bottoms and he knows this because he has daughters and also because he's seen her in these once before during an undercover stint when they went to a swingers club.
She had a matching dress on and he can see now from the way the leather is tightly snugged around her thighs and long legs and that her body has changed since he seen her in something like this. Not like he's ever seen her in leather pants but still.
She makes he way over and smiles at Elliot before pulling Iris in for a hug.
"I can't believe you are here, it's been...almost two years? Did you come straight from JFK?" Olivia is beaming, she looks worlds different than the woman he split paper work with all day.
"I had a couple days in between my next flight out and had to see you, God, I've missed you," she squeezes Olivia for a tight hug and neither one seems to want to let go, leaving Elliot amused but out of place.
He doesn't mind Iris he just doesn't know what to expect from her ever.
"I'm just so excited to see you, thanks for coming too, El. Birthday's aren't usually my thing...but it's nice to go out, it's been...ages," she smiles and looks around and this is so foreign to him because it's been years since he's been able to do this.
"I'm surprised to see big daddy here too, no diaper duty or date night?" Iris teases.
It's common knowledge between the friends that Olivia's longtime friend has always found her partner very attractive, she doesn't hide it, in fact Olivia thinks it amuses her how much it throws him off.
What isn't common knowledge is his separation.
She never filled her in on the current status update of his marriage but why would she when she barely knew herself.
It's not like his name comes up often unless Iris provokes her, teases her or attempts to pry out information from her that just isn't there. The reality is that outside of the job they spend all of their days doing she doesn't know much about Elliot.
They didn't talk like that anymore. There was a time they might have but in recent years they do a dance around many topics and feelings. She's okay with it and thinks it's best for the job. Also, she doesn't really have any other option.
"I'm divorced, well.. legally separated and in the process of it being finalized so diaper duty is actually next week for me and every second Wednesday too," He says with a piece of crushed ice from his rye in his mouth as he crushes it and smiles at her. Shutting her up but not for long.
It stuns Olivia.
Not because she's surprised but because it's something she never asked him or discussed with him, he purposely made sure of it but here is her friend fresh off a plane after years of not seeing either of them asking him right away the questions Olivia would never dare.
"Wow, okay so wait, so let me get this right. Daddy is all ours tonight?" Iris bites down on her lower lip and smooths her hands over Elliots shoulders and tips her chin up before looking at Olivia with a devilish smirk.
Olivia's blushing. Elliot is smirking at the nickname but he doesn't know what is behind it.
She regrets ever telling Iris about the dreams she had when she went under, how her subconscious teased her in Oregon. Iris couldn't let it go.
While Elliot was out of sight it turns out he wasn't out of mind. She dreamt of him. In detail almost outing her cover. Dreams she still remembers so vividly. Him unbuttoning her jeans and slipping his hand inside, gently exploring and caressing her where she is warm and wet. His whisper in his ear as he worked another finger inside of her as he told her what a good girl she is, how amazing she feels to him.
The problem was that it wasn't just Oregon and Iris knew that. Over several different occasions she found her self in a deep sleep just to find him there.
In her bed pulling off her underwear and shoving them into his pocket before burying his face down below. Him behind her, his hands on her hips and he's totally buried inside of her. It's the dream in Oregon where he's panting in her ear asking her who's is it, who does it belong to and what is his fucking name that could have gotten her killed.
"El...El...Elliot.." she moans out softly behind closed lids.
"Who's is it?" He's moving super slow in her dream. It's all so slow and sloppy, she can hear her bodies reaction to him with every thrust.
She wakes up just before a world slips her lips she dares never to say and has never had the urge to say before. Iris also knows the extent of the dream. How in the dream it's what he demanded and ever since she slipped and confessed this to her friend that's what she's called him behind his back and also to his face just now. Elliot has absolutely no idea that Olivia is behind the teasing name in a way and Iris has no idea that it's the first thing she called him when they went undercover and she had to pose as a pro either. Both secrets make Olivia's face and neck feel warm and flushed.
They have secrets and most include the other, she thinks to herself silently, heavily as she takes the shot handed to her by Iris.
"Daddy can play, how fun..." Iris practically purrs as she puts her hand on the bar right beside Elliot's arm so she would have to brush up against his arm to grab her shot.
Elliot doesn't flinch he knows the way she rolls from his interactions with her. The in your face flirting and bold sexuality that is second nature to her. He isn't surprised by it but is always interesting to see how his partner reacts to it as a woman that is so private, so professional and serious always.
"Iris," Olivia warns her. She knows better than anyone what she's like and also knows she loves to bug Elliot. Maybe a bit of a crush, a bit of a competitor thing because while Elliot knows her now, it's Iris that knew the Olivia from back then the Olivia he would never ever get to experience.
"No early bed time means more time to play is all I'm saying," she licks her lips with a light pop after taking her drink, Olivia notices the way Elliots eyes are on Iris' lips now. She only knows that because her eyes are too. On her glossy pouty soft pink lips. Wet from alcohol, her lip stick and her tongue as it sweeps across slowly into a smile. Olivia would be lying to say she didn't find Iris attractive, very attractive and that is was a mutual layer of their friendship.
"I don't think I've ever seen you out past the street lights so this should be fun," she winks and walks away from them leaving them alone at the bar while she walks over to the bartender and whispers in his ear, leaning over the bar and pointing back at Elliot and Olivia. She isn't sure which one looks more terrified.