Reaching his arm up to signal the bartender for another round, Nick winced as the dull throb radiated from his abdomen. "Can you please take it easy?" Olivia chided, as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, easing him back down into his stool. "You literally just caught a bullet."
It had been a long day. Being on the receiving end of troubled Henry Mesner's gun landed Nick in the hospital with a seriously bruised rib. But Olivia was right, it could've ended much worse. The day surprisingly took a turn for the better when Cynthia and Gil showed up at the hospital. It finally felt official now that he knew. Nick had a son and Gil had a father. And that was something to celebrate.
"That's true." Nick chuckled as he settled back onto the high back bar stool. "But my son also looked me in the eyes and called me Dad so I think it was a pretty good day." He smirked as he looked over at her, his brown eyes sparkling in the dim light of the bar. Olivia couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or his excitement, either way the charm that radiated from him made a warmth spread throughout her chest.
Leaning against the back of his stool, he stretched his arm along the back of hers and smiled contently. "Good for you, Nick." She praised, matching him as she leaned against the back of her stool. Their eyes met and held each other for an extended moment, a familiar tension lingering between them. This has happened a handful of times since they started working together.
It was fairly obvious to both of them that there was some level of attraction between them. The trust that had solidified throughout the last year and a half just made her that much more drawn to him. Trust was a big thing for her, probably the biggest thing. His eyes dropped to her lips then made there way back up her face by way of her jawline, a tingle passing over wherever his eyes lingered.
They had wandered into this tequila bar just a few blocks away from the hospital. Several strands of string lights draped along the length the ceiling providing the dim, intimate glow that Olivia was suddenly grateful for, hoping it would hide the flush that was spreading up her neck. Reggaeton pumped from the speakers that surrounded the dance floor at the other end of the bar, the volume was muted due to the packed space but she felt the bass in chest. It was no match for pounding heart.
Adverting her eyes, she brought the salted rim of her glass to her lips and took a long draw, the tequila doing very little to impede the heat smoldering deep in her chest. The sound of the bartender sliding a fresh glass to Nick made her look back up, his eyes had never left her. She took another large gulp of the margarita, trying to wash down the words that bubbled up her throat but it was all in vain. "Will Cynthia be calling you daddy too?" She asked, her voice in an even, conversational tone making Nick choke his drink back into the glass.
After a couple of healthy coughs, a low laugh bellowed from his chest. He leaned back against the stool, his smiling eyes squinting at her as he rested his temple against his fist, his elbow propped against the bar. "You're funny when you're drunk." He observed like he had just discovered the crown jewel, his thick lips spreading into a bright smile, revealing his perfect white teeth. Not only was his partner beautiful, strong, and compassionate but she was funny too? Lord help him.
Gathering her thick locks in her hands, she pulled them into a messy twist. Her eyes were downcast as her hand mindlessly secured the makeshift bun as Nick allowed his eyes to wander down the line of her neck to the dip that lead into her shoulder. As soon as she flicked her head to the side, brushing the loose tendrils out of her eyes he brought his eyes back to her face. Exhaling a deep, hot breath, she hoped that the flush that she felt creeping up her neck wasn't completely obvious to her partner as she brought her chilled glass to her lips. "I'm not drunk", she muttered into the glass less-than-convincingly before quirking her eyebrow at him, causing another chuckle to fall from his pink lips.
"Nah, I think that ship has sailed." he explained, answering her original question once his laugh had subsided. "I loved her but every single thing she fell in love with was a lie, it would be too painful to rehash that old wound. I don't want to put Gil through that, not after doing the same thing to Zara." The tart liquid tingled her tongue and seared its way down her throat as she let her fogged mind process his words.
The energy between them was always a low electrical hum, always just vibrating mutely beneath the surface but now the high frequency of it was practically deafening. Logically, she knew that the majority of the attraction happening right now was due to the alcohol they consumed but what if it was more than that? What if it carried over into the job?
Olivia had had a certain dynamic with Elliot but it was different, she was always second to Kathy. Nick Amaro was a loyal man, to his core. His eyes never strayed until he and Maria separated. Once they did, they had had Olivia locked in their gaze and they weren't letting up.
"What about you?" his melodic voice broke into her thoughts.
Clearing her throat, she turned towards him on her stool and resting her bent elbow over the back. The collar of her shirt was wide enough that it showed off her lean collarbone especially she shrugged one shoulder and cocked her head at him. "What about me?"
Nick tried his hardest to not let his eyes linger where the line of her neck lead down to shoulder but he couldn't help but wonder if her tanned skin felt as warm and soft as it looked. His eyes snapped back to hers and her mouth spread into a slow, knowing smile and he knew she had caught him looking. He huffed a bashful laugh through his nose, looking down at his sweating glass.
"You and Cassidy looked" He paused, trying to ignore the foul taste that suddenly appeared in his mouth before he looked back up at her. "...cozy." The image of her long, toned legs and the way they were barely covered by Cassidy's dress shirt flooded his mind. He couldn't help feel a small pang of guilt at the way he had to force his eyes away from her bare thighs and calves and full on jealousy at notion that they had been wrapped around that bum just minutes before.
A flat chuckle fell from her mouth as one side of her lips perked up, raising an eyebrow ironically. "That was an itch that, uh", she sucked her teeth, "needed to be scratched."
Ever since he started working at SVU as Olivia's partner, he had felt an overwhelming protectiveness over her. The protectiveness is not what surprised him, that was his nature, it was the attraction that threw him for a loop. His eyes would always find her when she wasn't looking, like a moth drawn to a flame. She was so striking, the paradox of her beauty floored him. She was both soft and tough, expertly straddling the line of feminine and masculine and driving him crazy in the process. "I know you have better options than Cassidy." He tried to hide the disgust that coated his tongue when he said his name but he knew that she knew him just as well as he knew her.
Something resembling a mix between a scoff and a laugh rose in her throat as she looked down into her glass. "I've known him for over a decade. He's... familiar." As the last word left her lips, she looked up and met his eyes. He was lounged back slightly in his stool, leaning his elbow on the bar as he regarded her, his sharp brown eyes squinting in the slightest. They stayed like that for a prolonged moment, their eyes both absorbing and challenging each other.
The thoughts that began bombarding him the second he saw her in Cassidy's apartment were becoming too loud to ignore and they were now bubbling up his throat. Running a hand over his face, he leaned forward and grabbed the edge of her stool before pulling her towards him. Her body was situated between his spread legs and his intensely handsome face was mere inches from hers, so close she could feel his breath.
"You deserve more than familiar." He stated surely, his eyes darted around her face as he took in her features. Her breath caught in her chest and she wasn't sure if it was from his words or the intensity radiating from him. "You deserve...", he paused, his keens eyes continuing to search her face while his clouded mind searched for the right words. "Earth-shattering, toe-curling... apasionado." he spoke as if he took the time to taste each word before they left his mouth, rolling them on his tongue like a melting chocolate. Her trembling hands fumbled with her glass and it clanged against the bar as it slipped through her fingers.
Without looking away from her face, he placed one hand on hers and took the tumbler from her. "You deserve someone that makes you tremble before they even touch you." With every word, he inched closer and his eyes were downcast and focused on her lips then down to her heaving cleavage. She tried to gather any air she could into her straining lungs but it was in vain.
The proximity between them now was new territory and she found herself wondering how someone could be so handsome. Tanned skin covered the sharp angles of his face, his warm brown eyes set under his strong, dark brow and his mouth. His mouth was otherworldly, especially when he smiled. The way his smooth, pink lips pulled back to reveal his perfect, white teeth. She had seen his smile be warm, ironic and even menacing but the one that was spread across his mouth now was one she had never seen before.
Tequila did cast a fog over mind but she could've sworn he was... turned on. And by the way his dull teeth sunk into the plump tissue of his bottom lip as he leaned back in his chair, it was silently confirmed. Bringing her glass up to his mouth, he swiped his tongue across the salted rim and she had to stifle a moan at the thought of his tongue mimicking that movement against her skin.
Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, she watched as he downed whatever was left in the tumbler. "So whenever you get that...", he licked his lips, his eyes reagrding her where she sat cross-legged in her stool. "...itch, just know that you can do a lot better than familiar." A light sheen of sweat spread across her whole body, she felt it, she just hoped that it wasn't visible in the dim light of the bar. She knew it was obvious that his words affected her, he's one of the people that knew her best in the world.
Regaining composure, she turned in her stool and squared her shoulders at him as she raised an eyebrow. His smile was full and bright and shone from his eyes, crinkles and all. Leaning forward, she reached passed him and picked up his glass that was on the bar in front of him. Against his better judgement his eyes fell to the plunging neckline of her shirt as her chest brushed up against him in the process. She saw the way his sharp jaw tightened as she straightened back up.
Just as she was about to bring his glass to her mouth she noticed that there was no more salt left on the rim. She signaled to the bartender and he slid her a shaker from a couple of feet down the bar. Without thinking, she grabbed his forearm, bared from his rolled up sleeves, and turned it over. When his wrist was exposed to her, she locked eyes with him and swiped her hot, wet tongue along his pulse point.
The way he quickly sucked a breath through his nose wasn't lost on her and she did every thing in her power to remember the way he tasted and felt against her tongue. The corner of her lips quirked up in a devilish smirk as she sprinkled the salt on the wet patch of skin. He watched with bated breath as she licked his inner wrist once again, with a little more pressure this time, and she could have sworn he swallowed his tongue.
Two can play this game.
Throwing her head back, she downed the remainder of the tequila-heavy drink. The sound of her lips smacking as she swallowed the tart liquid brought his attention back to her glistening lips. "I'll keep that in mind." She winked.
Walking into the living room with the stems of two wine glasses dangling from one hand and an open bottle of red in the other, Nick spotted Olivia where she sat on the couch. She was sitting on the end of the couch with her legs tucked under her, her legs bare by the fitted bicycle type shorts she had under her sweater. There was a far away look on her face as she gazed blankly ahead, her brow was furrowed and her knuckles grazed along her lips as she thought. The gesture was one of comfort for her, something she had been doing since he became her partner.
When he rounded the couch, he held out one of the glasses and it took her a second to snap out of her train of thought before accepting it. He poured the crimson liquid as he eyed her with concern. "What's on your mind?" He asked softly as he sat a couple of feet away from her on the couch.
Letting out a pent up breath, she cupped the glass gingerly in between her hands as she attempted to process the thoughts running through her mind. Like she had been doing since she got that tragic phone call. "About a year into dating, Tucker asked me if I would consider retiring with him."
"A year of dating and he still didn't know you at all." He teased, giving her a lopsided, boyish smirk.
That earned him a small chuckle from her and that did more for his heart than she would ever know. It wrecked him seeing such a bright light like Olivia is such a dark place. "He was more about the job than even me. I think that's what scared me so much when he asked, I wasn't expecting it. But looking back now..." She trailed off as she raised her eyebrows solemnly. "He was already sick and he just wanted to make the most of the time he had left... with me." She swallowed as she brought the glass to her lips.
"Liv..." he sympathized lowly, reaching out and taking her free hand in his.
Smacking her lips against the dry liquid, she ironically quirked a somber brow at him. "Hindsight is heartbreakingly 20/20." She took a deep breath as well as another sip, willing it to soothe that sharp ache in her chest. "My biggest regret was allowing fear to take over instead of just falling into him." As the last words left her mouth, she folded her arms into her chest as if to hug herself. "I would've had a husband, Noah would have a father."
Hot tears pricked along her lash line as she inhaled a deep breath through her nose, willing them to subside. Doing the only thing he could, Nick moved closer to her on the couch and folded her into his side. She was able to hold off the tears, sometimes she thought that she had cried them all out late at night after Noah fell asleep.
"But...", he paused, pressing the side of his chin against her forehead as he chewed over the words once more. "You would've just lost a husband. And Noah, a father. Somethings are just for the better."
Even though it's not what she wanted to hear she couldn't help a small huff as the fact that his sentiment mirrored what Tucker said that last day. Looking up at him from where she was snuggled from under the crook of his arm. "Although neither of you would ever admit it, you and Tucker are very similar."
Making a comically uncomfortable face, he downed the contents of the glass before making the sign of the cross. "Dios ayúdame."
The laugh surprised her as it boomed out of her chest as she playfully pushed him away and settled back into her previous spot against the arm of the couch. The chuckle was short lived but it was a small welcome reprieve and she couldn't be more thankful to Nick for it. The contentment that she felt with him there was overshadowed by his reason for the trip every time she remembered.
A silence fell over them as the faraway look took over her stare, sorrow settlng back into her bones. Without words, he refilled both of their glasses before leaning back against the couch and keeping a watchful eye on her. She nodded unblinkingly and took a tiny sip between her lips. There was a long beat that hung in the air and her grief weighed on them both. She was laying back on the couch with her head, propped up just in the slightest by the throw pillow against the arm of the couch and he could just see her solemn face over her bent knees.
Clearing his throat, he took another swig of the dry liquid. "Listen, feel free to tell me to fuck off if I'm completely off base or crossing a line but can I suggest something?" Her eyes shifted to where he was sitting on the opposite side of the couch. She wanted to tell him that there was no way he could cross a line, not with her. They were way passed that at this point in there friendship. Instead, she just nodded, signaling him to continue and he did. "Tell me the darkest thought that has been running through your mind. That thought that crosses your mind and makes you have that look on your face." He explained, gesturing towards her with his hand that was holding the wine glass. "Sometimes shedding light on those thoughts make them lose the power they hold over you."
After all these years, Nick Amaro's wisdom still managed to surprise her. In times like these, it's hard to believe that when they started their relationship she was his mentor. There were times when he allowed her to share her emotional weight with him and soon she couldn't imagine her life without him. "Okay, um...", she exhaled, blinking through the thoughts of the Ed that have been on a constant loop in her mind. "The fact that the gun he used was the same exact make as the one that..." She trailed off, the taste of his name still causing bial to rise in her throat.
"Lewis used." Nick helped her and she nodded, his lip still curled up is snarl at the mention of him. She subconsciously stretched her legs out in front of her so her feet were in his lap and his hands found her ankles, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles in the dips of her Achilles heels.
There was an anxiety rising in her chest as she began to shed light on the most haunting thought that had been consuming her mind for weeks. "I felt the same weight in my hand, the same cold metal against my temple, the resistance of the trigger." Two fat tears slipped from her unblinking eyes and she weighed the invisible gun in her free hand. "The raw... terror made me feel like my chest was going to cave in. I lay awake at night agonizing over the fact that he died alone and then when I do fall asleep I wake up in a cold sweat worried that in his last moment he felt what I felt in that warehouse."
The last word was a choked sob as she brought a hand up to cover her trembling lips. The weight of her words settled over them as she weathered her repressed feelings that were rapidly rushing to the surface. All he could do was sit there beside her, his fingertips pressed firmly into the muscle of her calves letting her know that he's with her. It comforted her more than he could ever know.
A comfortable silence fell between them, the only sound an occasional sniffle from her. He tried with everything in him to absorb the pain that was radiating from her, she didn't deserve it.
"Can I tell you a vain thought that keeps running through my head?" She huffed ironically. He looked up at her from under his dark brow and nodded for her to continue. "I just can't wrap my head around the fact that the last person I slept with is dead. The last person who kissed me, had his hands on me is in the ground." She disclosed, downing the contents of her glass. Her fingertips replaced the glass at her pouting lips as she stared ahead unblinkingly.
All he could do is rub her shin, caring hands massaging her gently. He just wanted her to know that he was there with her, for her and he wasn't going anywhere. Blinking a couple of times, her mind snapped back to the present and she smiled bashfully at her vulnerable confession. "Just something that makes me feel weirdly undesirable."
Nick's face contorted with a scoff. "I don't mean to invalidate your feelings at all." He began, his hand sliding up her leg soothingly. "But undesirable is the last word I would've ever use to describe you." The way his eyes honed in on her face made her cheeks warm and she was very aware of his thumb rubbing the crease behind her knee.
The intensity that his gaze exuded briefly took her breath away. It was unfaltering and made her skin prickle with electricity. Ten seconds with him and his smoldering stare can make up for every insecure moment that intrusive thought had caused.
Reaching forward, she grabbed his hand that was at her knee and shook it in an attempt at cutting the tension that flared between them. "Always my been my biggest fan, haven't ya papi?" She teased and he had to actively stop himself from groaning.
Hearing her speak in his native tongue, even if it was only one word, had an affect on him that made the front of his pants tighten. The glimpse of her cleavage that her new position afforded didn't help matters. He turned his hand over and in hers, allowing their fingers lace together as he allowed his eyes to dropped to their joined hands.
Dragging his dull white teeth over the tissue of his bottom lip, he let out a little hiss as he nodded. "Proud of it", he rasped, his eyes flickering back up to her face. The way his fingers squeezed and slid between hers was tender and surprisingly intimate, an intimacy she missed dearly.
"Just know", he began, his voice as tight as his jaw which she could tell was clenched through his salt and pepper beard. "If I were still here, there's no way you would ever feel undesirable."
A heat spread up her chest and choked the breath in her throat. His heated gaze regarded her for a long moment before he broke eye contact and took a long pull from his wine glass.
Taking a steadying breath, she took advantage of the reprieve from his eyes and tried to swiftly gather her thoughts. She brought a hand up to her chest to try to control her breathing, her fingers meeting the dew that covered her flushed sternum.
Leaning forward and placing his wine glass on the coffee table, Nick planted his elbow on his knee and scrubbed his hand over his short beard. He could feel his hunger for her pumping through his veins with every beat of his heart. The tension between them was palpable and it hung thick, making it hard for each of them to take an adequate lungful of air.
In an attempt ease the intensity of the moment, he pulled his eyes away from hers to glance at the watch on his wrist. "It's, huh", he cleared his throat. "Getting late. Noah will be up with the sun."
Nodding, she took her time as she rose from the couch and Nick mirrored her actions. "Listen, I'm sorry you have to crash on the couch." She motioned to the sofa beside her before meeting his eyes.
"Just like old times", he shrugged with a smirk as he reached out for her hand. "Besides, I would sleep on the fire escape if it meant spending time with you and mi sobrino."
Stepping forward, she pressed her body against his as her hand dropped his and found its way to his waist. "It feels good with you here." She mumbled into his shirt as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
They stayed there for an extended moment, bodies pressed firm, breathing into each other. "My favorite place to be." He rasped, his large hand squeezing the back of her neck quickly.
Pressing a kiss to her temple, he reluctantly pulled away. She could feel his sharp eyes on her face as she took his hand from the side of her neck and brought it to her face.
"Goodnight, papito." Her lips moved against his palm as her breath rushed against his wrist.
"Sleep tight, sweetheart." His thumb brushed her mouth in a featherlight touch. The way his skin scorched at the feeling of her lips against his digit made his mind wander to what they would feel like against other parts of his body.
With a small smile, she turned and headed to the bedroom. He fell back on the couch which expelled a puff of air that smelled purely of Olivia, not helping the fire raging inside his chest. His hands scrubbed over his face as he took a steadying breath, racking his brain for how he was gonna fall asleep knowing she was just in the other side of the wall.
Double checking that the multiple locks on the front door of the apartment were secure, Nick padded back to the living room and his makeshift bed. All the lights save for the one above the stove were off, casting a comfortingly dim glow across the living area.
Almost an hour had passed since Olivia had retired to her bedroom but she had been occupying his thoughts every second since. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be the star of any dream he may have that night.
Grabbing the blanket, he shook it out and laid it over the sheet that was already tucked into the cushions of the couch. The sound of a door creaking open came from down the hall caught his attention and that's when he saw her.
Barefoot and loosely wrapped in a blush pink, satin robe, she tiptoed out from the hallway. His eyes were fixed on her as she walked out and leaned against the wall at the edge of the living room with her arm folded over her chest. One of her long, tan legs crossed over the other and the movement caught his eyes.
The blanket lay forgotten and he couldn't help but stare, suddenly extremely aware of the lack of support in the front of his flannel sleep pants. Tension crackled between them like logs in a summer bonfire, he could feel it deep in his chest and at the base of his spine.
"Liv", his coarse voice slicing through the thick silence that hung in the room. She looked up from where her hands were twisting in the sash of her robe, flicking her head as she did to get the stray hairs that fell from the loose twist out of her face.
Lust shone in her hooded eyes as she braved a look at him. He was standing next to the couch in nothing but green and blue flannel sleep pants, the way they hung low on his hips made her mouth flood. His hand reached across his chest to rub his opposite shoulder, a nervous habit. One that made his bicep bulge and her teeth cut into her bottom lip at the view.
"About that itch...", she braved, her eyes flickering up to his. Electricity charged every hair follicle on his body as she caught him in her heavy lidded gaze.
Their drunken conversation from seven years ago was never far from his mind. Neither were the feeling of her tongue on his skin or the new realized feeling of desire towards her. It was the moment the attraction between then was confirmed to be mutual and it visited the forefront of his thoughts often.
Taking slow, determined steps, he closed the distance between them and the excitement rose in her chest with every one of his footfalls. His dark eyes looked her entire body up and down as he came to stand in front of her, the intensity of his stare pinned her to the wall. They were so close that even in the dim lighting, she could see the fine smattering of hair that peppered his fit chest. A new addition since he was sitting in the ER, nursing his bruised rib from Henry Mesner's failed attempt. One she welcomed and her fingers twitched at her sides to feel.
Reaching out, he hooked a finger into the knot of her sash and pulled. The sparse breath that remained in her body caught in her chest as the fabric unraveled, revealing Olivia's golden curves encased in black lace. Smooth silk slipped off her shoulders and caught in the crook of her bent elbows, giving him full view of her heaving chest. Her heavy lidded eyes watched as his dropped to explore the newly exposed view.
Goosebumps tightened her olive skin and the muscles on her stomach quivered in anticipation. This is what he did to her, without even touching her. He was the person he spoke of all those years ago. The person whose passion for her was so strong that it made her body tremble.
Subconsciously holding his breath, he slipped a hand between the curtain her open robe created. His fingertips brushed along the raised marks along her otherwise smooth skin and the surge of protectiveness that rushed through his body made him take a step forward. So close that the fabric of the robe brushed against him.
An amalgamation of emotions washed over him like a tidal wave causing his chest to rise and fall in time with hers. Feeling the scars that Lewis left behind brought him back to that day, the possessiveness that he felt as he lead her out of the beach house came rushing back. He needed her close. His hand slipped to her lower back under her robe and pulled her body flush against his.
Brushing his nose along her cheekbone, a tremble ran through his body as her sweet breath engulfed him. He wondered if she felt it too.
"Eres un guerrera. Estoy asombrado de ti." His mouth was so close to hers that his lips brushed her face with every word. There was something about the way his voice deepened when he spoke in his second language that had always made her knees go weak. His words only made matters worse. You are a warrior, I am in awe of you. She was sure that if it wasn't for his strong arm around her waist, her knees would give out from under her.
"Nick." The tips of her fingers buzzed as they danced along the lean muscles of his arms, gripping his forearms in a desperate attempt to ground herself. The way he held her, consumed her, made her feel like she was a live wire, vibrating out of her own skin.
And he hadn't even kissed he yet.
"What do you want, Liv?" What did she want? She wanted to feel desired, she wanted to feel safe in a way only Nick could make her feel. He knew her better than almost anyone in the world, could read her mind with just a glance and anticipate her every move. She wanted someone who knew her in that way. She wanted him.
"You." A shaky breath, in and out. "I want you."
Again, this ran so much longer than I thought. These two are just so fun to write together. I'm not ruling out writing a third chapter which would just be delicious sexy time between these two. I do have a bunch of other fics in the works so the next update of this is not high on my list but some reviews might inspire me *wink*
Let me know what you think!