On Friday night, Liv stayed late to catch up on some paperwork before heading home for a long weekend. She was signing her name on the bottom of yet another form she had to approve and she had a feeling that she forgot to do something. She brushed it off as feeling super tired and over this week, not indulging her thoughts.
Elliot came strolling into the precinct, looking for Liv, who was supposed to meet him downstairs 30 minutes ago to go to dinner. He walked past all the empty desks on the way to her office, with the lights off. He saw her sitting at her desk in her office, with the lights on. He knocked on her door, and walked in, startling her a little.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Liv says.
"Hey babe, you forget about our date?"
"Shit. No of course not, just got busy with paperwork."
"Uh-huh. I don't believe you but you'll pay for it later." Elliot winks and smirks.
"Oh, will I? We'll see about that." Liv teases back.
"Let's go get some food and if I'm lucky we can have dessert at your place." he winked again.
Grabbing her things and turning off the lights, they headed for the elevator that leads to the parking garage. Along the way, they held hands and Elliot started to tease her by bumping hips. Liv gave him a look that told him to stop, but he was willing to test his luck tonight. When the
elevator doors opened, they stepped in together, Elliot standing a little behind her. As the doors close, Elliot started peppering kisses on the side of her cheek and down her neck.
"El."
"What?" Elliot says innocently continuing to suck and nibble all over her neck.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"El, seriously." Liv pleads.
"You know you like it."
"Mmmm."
Elliot starts kissing back up her neck and around to her cheek, turning her around to plant one right on her mouth. She moans, leaning further into the kiss, dropping her bag on the ground. Moving his hands down to her hips, he pulls her flush against his chest and turns them around so she is between him and the wall never disconnecting their mouths. Liv unwillingly pulled her lips from his as breathing was a necessity. Elliot moved back to kissing down her neck, stopping and sucking on that one spot behind her ear that drives her crazy. Liv moans and tugs him even closer if that's even possible in their current position. When the elevator doors finally slide open on the parking garage floor, Liv reluctantly shoves his chest lightly, but with enough force to make him stop and grabs his hand, dragging him towards the car.
"Don't think this is over. You have barely scratched the surface of what you owe me. I have plans for you tonight"
"Can't wait." Liv teases.
"You're going to be the death of me woman."
"You have no idea."
Elliot groans as he gets into the driver's side.
The next morning Fin is finishing up some paperwork when he gets an email with nothing except an attached video and "Thought you should see this... ". When he opens it, he smirks when he processes what he's viewing. Someone, probably from building security, had sent him elevator footage from the night before.
Later that morning, Liv comes walking in, coffee and bag in hand. A chorus of "Morning Liv" comes from Amanda, Kat, and Carisi, who happens to be stopping by to see Amanda.
"Morning everyone".
As she walks past Fin's desk he says, "Morning Cap."
"Morning Fin."
After a minute, Fin follows her into her office, closing the door behind him. She had placed her bag and coffee on the desk and was seated in her chair.
"Everything okay? Did we get a case?"
"Everything's fine and no case. I'm just checking in to see how you're doing"
"Oh, Okay."
"So, did you have a good night?"
"I did, thank you." Liv saying with a smile.
Fin smirks, "I bet you did."
Liv eyes him suspiciously. "What does that mean?"
"Oh, nothing. I've just never seen you kiss someone with such passion."
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"I think you do. If you were trying to keep it a secret you might not want to be so dumb in an elevator."
Olivia's eyes go wide and now, she's even more confused. She darts out of her chair, hands flying, eyes ablaze. "How, who?" she stutters out.
"I think that you forgot that elevators have cameras and there are people on the other side of the monitor. Now as for who, I don't know, but the security guys are going to be getting a good Christmas present this year."
She leans with her hands holding her up against her desk, with an open mouth, at a loss for words.
"Don't worry Liv, your secret is safe with me." he winks. "I'm just glad you're happy. He makes you happy right?"
"Of course he does." She smiles shyly.
"Good, because if that son of a bitch hurts you in any way, I will beat his ass into next year."
Olivia chuckles, "I'll keep that in mind."
"I truly am happy for you Liv."
"Thank you, Fin."
"I'm always in your corner, Liv."
"I know." They smile at each other for a few seconds and then Liv breaks the silence.
"Can I do anything else for you, Fin?"
"Nope. That was all, Cap."
"You're dismissed"
Fin opens the door and goes back to his desk, leaving Olivia to her thoughts.
There is a knock on her apartment door a little after 9.
"Hey, babe" Elliot presses a soft kiss to her lips.
"Hey."
She lets him walk past him into the apartment, closing the door behind her. He heads to the refrigerator, opening the door to grab a beer. "You want anything?"
"A glass of red would be great."
Pouring the wine and bringing it over to her sitting on the couch, he hands her the glass and sits next to her. She scoots closer to him, taking a sip of her wine and Elliot slides his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. " We need to talk".
"Should I be worried?" Elliot asks.
"I don't think so, but it changes our relationship."
Raising a brow in question, "Oh?"
"Well not that much but it changes things."
"Okay?"
Olivia takes another sip of wine before continuing. "So, you know how we've been keeping this thing between us for a while?" He nods. "Well, Fin found out about us."
"Wait, how? We've been so careful."
"You remember the other night at the precinct when we couldn't keep our hands off of each other?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"There are cameras in the elevator and halls, El."
It dawned on him then that somehow Fin had seen the playback of the elevator footage of them devouring each other.
"Oh, well that's not that big of a deal. What did he say that's got you worried?"
"What he said isn't want worries me. He said that he was happy for us and if you hurt me, he's going to come to find you and kick your ass." Elliot laughed at this, one of those belly laughs that ring out.
She slaps him, "Hey! Be quiet, Noah is sleeping."
"Sorry," he says still chuckling under his breath. "Why are you so worried about it then?"
"Because now everyone is going to know about us and I liked keeping you a secret."
"Am I your dirty little secret?" He teased her, kissing her neck and tickling.
Giggling Liv says, "Stop it! I'm gonna drop my wine." still laughing.
After calming down and placing Liv's wine glass on the table, Elliot looks at Liv and genuinely asks, "Okay, but seriously, is there something wrong with your squad knowing about us? Because if you're not ready, I can talk to Fin."
"No, it's just that I like what we have, and bringing the outside world into our little bubble makes me feel watched and analyzed. No one knew about us until Fin found out and now I'm worried that people are going to judge me for being with you." Liv breaks eye contact and looks down at her hands.
"Hey, hey. Baby, it's gonna be okay. No one is going to think twice about it and if anyone says anything, you send them to me, I'll beat their ass."
She laughs. "Don't do that. IAB would definitely have your badge then."
"Ehh. That's okay. It would be worth it. You're worth it."
She looks at him through her lashes with those October brown eyes, holding all the love she has for him. She kisses him passionately, as a thank you for being him.
Pulling back, she says "I love you, El"
"I love you too Liv. So so much." He kisses her again before sitting back and snuggling into her even more. "You know Liv if it helps, most of my squad already knows. And they haven't said a thing except that they are happy for us."
She smacks him again. "What?! You told me no one knew."
"Well, I might have lied. They started to get suspicious when I was coming into the office as a brighter and happier version of myself, so they made me tell them. And if I'm being honest, my kids know too."
"What?!"
"Kathleen figured it out after hammering it out of me with her line of questioning. I tell you, she would make a great interrogator."
"How do they feel?" She tries to hide how worried she is but fails miserably.
"They are happy for me and couldn't be happier that it is you. When I sat down to talk to them all together about it, they said that it took me long enough." Liv laughs at this, imagining the Stabler clan all gathered in one room talking.
"Well then, I guess I need to get used to people knowing that we are together."
"It won't take too long. Sooner or later, you're going to enjoy getting surprised visits to the precinct midday with a pick me up."
"Oh really? Are you sure that I'll let you in? Because you might just distract me from my work."
"That's the plan. Plus, now that everyone knows, or will know soon, I can kiss you and hold your hand whenever I want to." He finishes while starting to kiss her all over her face.
Trying to resist, "Not so fast. I never agreed to that. I am still an NYPD captain and can't be seen making out with my boyfriend at the office."
"Well then, I guess I'll have to control myself around you, which as we know I'm not very good at. But think about your squad's reactions when I'm calling you pet names."
"That is definitely not happening because you know how much I hate pet names. You're lucky I allow it in private." To be truthful, she is warming up to and starting to love being called babe and baby by him, but he'll never know that.
"You know you love it Liv."
He stands up, pulling her off the couch with him. "Come on, baby, come show me how much of a dirty little secret I can be".
"You're gonna get it." She says laughing while starting to chase him into her bedroom.
She falls asleep wrapped in Elliot's arms, in a cloud of happiness surrounding her life that she never thought she would be given. And if there is a higher power, she thanks her lucky star that they found their way back to each other.