Fitz knew Olivia would say yes. In his heart, that was the only answer. She even asked while they were in Vermont. But all the nervous energy that had escalated in the preceding weeks made him question himself. The memories of his first proposal and everything that followed kept him up at night. It was painful to even admit that he still hurt from his relationship and marriage. He was scared; he didn't want to fuck up again.
But time was finally healing his wounds; talking with his father, his best friends, and even Olivia's parents, helped him settle into the new emotional territory, so he could be confident. But how sweet it was during that fateful moment on the patio when her eyes lit up and became misty as she answered his question.
That was what he wanted. The look of happiness and love. It was in her eyes. His too.
The days and weeks to follow were incredibly blissful. Fitz didn't even care that there was lots to do at the Foundation, and there was a lot — but he knew every night, he'd come home to Livvie and Teddy. His new idea of family was coming true.
Her hand was already beautiful; with the diamond ring on her finger, the sight constantly reminded Fitz of the right choice he made. It felt so damn good to be engaged to the love of his life. Seeing her happy made him happy.
Saturdays had continued to be their lazy day. Sleeping in, cuddling, planning different activities for the new week. Whenever he woke up before Olivia, he'd start the coffee, and then return to their cozy bed. Observing her peaceful expressions, Fitz lovingly and softly kissed her temple. That usually got her to stir, gradually opening her eyes, meeting his.
"Hi, beautiful girl."
Her cheeks lifted, bringing forth a smile. "Hi. It's so early. It's Saturday, Mister."
"I know," he confirmed, eager to hold her.
"Whatchu doin'?"
Fitz dipped his chin on Olivia's shoulder, whispering, "I wanted to get a head start for the day, before the youngin' finds us."
Olivia giggled, extending her arms. "Sugar, please."
A quick soft kiss between them. He heard her high pitched "Ooh!", similar to an abrupt reaction when someone tasted tart fruit.
"What?"
"You're scruffy."
Fitz let out a chuckle, "Long hours, baby. Didn't even think to shave."
"Not sure why I didn't notice," she slowly rubbed her palm on his face, taking her time exploring her man's face."I kind of like it."
"Yeah?"
"Mmhmm."
"Enough for me to keep?"
Olivia shrugged, "It's your face. I don't have a say."
"But if aforementioned scruff comes in contact with your face, or your skin…Sensitive skin..."
Fitz smirked, with his lips ghosting Olivia's face, descending to come in contact with her arm, towards her leg, making sure to prove his theory. Olivia halted him with a playfully firm hand, reminding him to not even try going there or there. There was no time to investigate.
"Aht! Fitzgerald!"
"What?" His crooked smile appeared, making her swoon. "This doesn't work for you?"
"Just keep it. Keep the scruff."
There were four weeks left of summer vacation for Teddy. After being booked at gymnastics and outdoor adventure camps, hanging out at Auntie Gracie's house, and a week at his cousin's house in Virginia, Fitz wanted his boy to do more outside of D.C. He planned a trip to visit their friends along the East Coast, inviting his own father to the new home in Vermont, and having plenty of beach time. Teddy adored being in the water, playing in the sand. They were blessed with great genes that allowed their skin to tan, so they were golden. Sun kissed and all.
Shopping at Target was on the agenda now that Teddy wouldn't be limited to polos and khakis every weekday. One downer to the switch in Fitz's mind. The year of not dealing with wardrobe choices in the mornings spoiled him rotten.
"I don't know why I said yes to this," he mumbled, with knitted eyebrows, pushing hangers to the side. Everything would look good on a five year old, right? He wanted Olivia to join them, but she insisted this would be a fun, casual boys' morning trip. That also spoiled him — having a companion to be the voice of reason or someone to humor his thoughts. It reminded him how much Liv had changed their world.
As he contemplated various styles and colors, he called, "Teddy, what do you think about this?"
When he didn't hear the familiar cheerful voice, Fitz's head shot up, as a pang of fear filled his lungs. The boy was only a foot away, eyeing the more exciting toys and electronics departments.
"Theodore," his voice lowered.
"Yes?"
Seeing his little one's brown eyes calmed Fitz down. He knew Teddy would never leave without asking. It just made him nervous for a moment. He grinned and lifted two shirts.
"Blue or green?"
Teddy returned to his side, pointing at his choice. "Blue, please."
"Thanks, buddy. Don't go too far, okay? I'm sorry this is taking too long. I would like you to try on a few things and then when we finish, we will go over there. To the fun stuff."
Teddy spun around, mindful of the other people and racks of clothes. "Awesome! Hey, Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you should get something too. To try on."
Fitz couldn't resist kissing Teddy's forehead. "Of course, Bear. How about you pick something for me?"
A few minutes later. the two walked into the dressing room, finding a stall big enough for the both of them. Teddy changed into his first outfit, while Fitz pulled on a simple grey t-shirt and jeans.
"Daddy, we look the same. We are twins."
Fitz ruffled Teddy's hair. "You think so?"
They took a moment to look into the mirror.
"Yeah," he explained, "We both have brown hair, the same smile. New jeans. We look good!"
Fitz whipped out his phone, taking a few shots. Making silly faces. Teddy crossed his arms, while Fitz poked out his chest.
"Are you gonna send that to Livia?"
"Yeah!"
"She will be happy that we did our job. Finding clothes without her!"
Fitz's mouth opened, feigning offense. "What?"
Teddy grinned, nodding his head slowly. "She told me I had to be a good helper because she knew you would get frrru-stra-ted."
"One, good word. And two, wow, two against one."
With his son's laughter bouncing off the walls. Fitz pretended to be upset and pouted.
"I'm always on your side, Daddy! But sometimes I gotta side with Livia. To help her confidence."
"Oh?"
Teddy wrapped his arms around Fitz's waist. "Yeah."
After a ten minute period of figuring out which shirts, jeans, shorts, and hoodies to keep, Fitz piled the loot into his cart, and he followed Teddy towards the highlight of the day — picking out a new toy or game.
Teddy spent five days in North Carolina — a trip that was organized by his maternal grandparents. Fitz never wanted to sever this particular relationship, but it always crushed him when the time came to drop him off. Of course, Mellie would get to see her son, and they needed to bond, but still…he was hoping to have the whole summer to themsleves. It stung, passing by the bedroom or almost stepping on toys, and not hearing his voice all the time.
The only perk of not having a five-year-old in the house? Uninterrupted time with Liv.
Fitz arrived home, after a long day at the office. Very thankful to bypass a Metro commute, he was ready to strip down and cool off. The house was eerily quiet. He walked around, looking for Olivia. Gigi was yapping at the patio door, sort of greeting him, but also pointing him into the right direction. He saw Olivia wading in the new jacuzzi they purchased. He smiled watching his fiancée, beautifully dressed in a neon green bikini, with her curls pulled into a high ponytail. The backdrop of the ombré sunset made the view picturesque.
He waited for her to see him.
"Hi, baby," Olivia waved.
"Good evening, my love. How was your day?"
"Not too bad. Yours?"
"Busy," Fitz replied. He walked downstairs to meet her, leaning over to greet her with a kiss. She sighed — he knew it was needed. It felt like the only downtime they had was in the evenings.
"Wanna get in," she purred against his lips. He hummed in response.
"I need to get some shorts."
"Look over there," Olivia hinted.
A pair of swimming trunks were neatly folded on a lawn chair.
"You wise woman."
Olivia rested her arms on the ledge. "Go on, change, then come back to me."
Fitz grabbed the shorts before pivoting towards the steps.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The tone was very clear, he knew exactly what she was doing and saying.
"Olivia."
"If you're fast, no one will see. I'll be on the lookout."
Fitz began to disrobe, keeping an eye on his surroundings, but also watching Olivia. Her smirk was priceless.
"Keep your shirt on."
"You just want to see me naked," he stalled.
"I mean… Baby…I enjoy seeing all of you."
She wasn't slick. Fitz laughed to himself, shook his head while flinging his trunks over his shoulder.
Olivia slammed her hand down, water splashing. "Really, Grant? Taking away all my fun."
"I'll be back. Don't go anywhere."
With his luck, one of the neighbors would take a stroll outside, and get a cameo of something that was off limits. He didn't want any trouble, so he hastily changed in the powder room, and returned in only the shorts Olivia picked out for him.
"Hi, handsome. Look at you, all tan and cute."
Fitz winked, "Thank you."
Once he got situated in the water, Fitz was able to get a closer look at Olivia's bikini, which accentuated her natural curves. "When did you get this?"
"This old thing," she questioned, rolling her eyes playfully.
"We've been to the beach a few times since we started dating and I've never seen this."
Giving him a coy shrug, Olivia answered, "I found the other day when I was cleaning out the apartment. Thought it'd be a good day to bring it out. I guess you approve?"
Fitz reached for her hand, "It looks amazing on you, babe."
"Thanks."
"Damn," he tisked, "I should have poured you a glass of wine."
Olivia rotated to face him, deftly moving so she could sit on his lap. "No worries. We'll have plenty of time to do that after we get done here."
They laughed, before Olivia leaned in, capturing his lips. Something about kissing while floating in the water, that sparked a fire in Fitz.
"I love you."
He pressed his lips on her jaw.
"Love you too."
Thirty minutes later, they found themselves back inside, making out on the stairs, after a healthy glass of red. Olivia's heel digging into Fitz's lower back, while he pushed her bikini bottom to the side, working his magic, paying close attention to her throbbing and wet core.
"Fitz...Fuck. Fuck!"
After he finished in record time, he kissed Olivia's inner thigh. "You are too fucking sexy, you know that? That's why you wore that bikini."
Olivia closed her eyes, grinning sheepishly. "Mmhmm. You know, we need to make the most of our time being in an empty house."
"Downstairs?"
"Yeah, the neighbors won't hear us."
Fitz rose, wet curls plastered on his forehead, breathing heavier than usual. "Perfect."
He helped Olivia up, then surprised her by lifting her. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
The basement was spacious, with the guest room that was rarely used these days. Fitz and Olivia took more sips of their alcohol, working each other's last nerves with a painfully slow round of striptease. As if they had never seen each other naked before, they explored, touching, kissing, biting, complementing. Intentional foreplay was becoming their favorite.
Finally, Olivia pulled Fitz down, wanting him to start.
"Miss Pope, are you ready," he whispered in her ear, before nudging her legs open.
"Yes. I want you, everywhere. Now. Literally right now," she smiled. "And I want to go all night, if possible."
Fitz took that as a challenge and successfully accomplished the feat. Four rounds between 9pm and sunrise...
The first day of school had arrived. Fitz had planned a hearty and fun breakfast for Teddy: blueberry waffles with whipped cream, bacon, and juice. Once the prepping was complete, he went upstairs to see how Teddy was doing.
Still asleep, Fitz gingerly sat on the bed, kissing his son's head.
"Teddy… Bear…"
"Hmm?"
"Time to get up."
"What time is it?"
"7:45. First day of school...," Fitz sang. "I have your clothes laid out on your chair."
Teddy groaned, flopping over. Laughing softly, Fitz rubbed his back, warming him up.
"Come on, Buddy Bear. We gotta get moving."
Another round of complaints.
Olivia walked into the bedroom once Teddy was up and moving.
"Good morning, Teddy."
"Hi, Livia," he replied with a heavy sleepy voice, pulling his t-shirt over his head. "Good morning. Will you be coming with me today?"
"Yes! I wouldn't miss for the world!"
Breakfast eaten, teeth brushed, and several photos later, Teddy Grant was ready.
Fitz scooped his coffee tumbler, then asked, "Should we walk or drive?"
Teddy rocked on his heels, just like him. "Can we walk? It will give me time to get the jitters out."
"Oh?"
"Mmhmm. If I'm sitting, I can't move and I'm nervous."
Olivia knelt down to Teddy, "You're nervous? How come?"
His eyes became watery. "Everything is new and you guys won't be there. I don't know how I will be. I don't want to cry but I might."
"Oh, my Teddy Bear," Fitz opened his arms, hoping his boy would still want to be picked up.
Teddy ran to him, squeezing him tightly.
"I love you so much. We will be in your heart. You want to think of your favorite song when you get scared?"
"Mmhmm," he replied.
Fitz gently tugged on Teddy's earlobe. "That's my baby. You also have your friends; they will be in your class."
Teddy sniffled. "Yeah, you're right."
"I'm sure we'll see them as we walk there."
Olivia gave Teddy his backpack, "If you get more nervous, you can tell your teacher, and she can call us."
"Okay," he let out a big breath, and walked towards the front door. "Thanks, you guys."
Fitz lived for school activities; once he found out about the annual fall festival, he marked his calendar. Neighbors used to sing the praises of this event. He wanted to jump into the scene. Wherever he visited the school to pick up Teddy, he asked around, wanting to help whenever he could. He volunteered to make several desserts and appetizers.
The auditorium was fully decorated with autumnal props, games, and a DJ on the stage, so the kids could play and dance. Teddy was elated to see his friends and also see the transformation.
"May I go play?"
"Absoltutely. We will be nearby."
Olivia took his hand. "This will be fun. I'm going to be as friendly as possible."
"But of course. If we need to leave early, give me a sign."
Fitz cordially initiated conversation with the other couples, including a few mothers who made their presence known. Adjacent to the ladies at the private school, these women were trendy and loved to talk to anyone who would listen. He was definitely a listening ear. But then, he immediately remembered one of the first times Olivia joined him at drop off… that was not fun.
Some of the discussion topics were easygoing, asking about Fitz and Olivia's upcoming nuptials, the Foundation, how Teddy was doing as a new student. But when one mom began to laugh hard, sighing, and touch his bicep, that's when things turned around. Fitz casually stepped back, out of the woman's reach, but did not turn to see how Olivia reacted. In his mind, he was a bit confused why the woman's husband didn't try to show off his machismo and bring her back into reality. But that didn't really happen.
At first, his fiancée was by his side. Then she disappeared. After using the excuse to find Teddy to get away, Fitz searched the auditorium. It didn't take long to find Olivia. She was on the opposite side of the room, standing near the concessions table, with popcorn, candied apples, and cider, haphazardly nibbling on a cookie Fitz baked.
"Hey. I was looking for ya."
His pleasantries were cut when he saw the stone cold stare from the petite love of his life.
"Get over here."
Her tone was nothing to be played with, behind gritted teeth. Fitz switchced his usual gait to promptly arrive by her side.
"What?"
Olivia grabbed his hand, pulling him closer. "You can't look like this."
"What? What's this? Why not?"
"You're my man."
"I know! Wait, what?" Fitz looked down at her, with eyebrows lifted, very confused.
"Oh? Cool, Then stop acting and looking super sexy!"
"But I'm not." Fitz looked at his outfit; it wasn't anything special or revealing.
Olivia huffed, waving her arms around. "Look. You and your tight jeans and that light sweater I like, along with your hair styled perfectly and this scruff...ugh, honestly, I'm ready to jump your bones, and I'm sure all the other ladies in this gym are eager to do so as well. That will not work. So, I need you to look less handsome."
He kept a straight face while Olivia gave her bold explanation. As he listened, he noticed how adorable she was being, legitimately upset that he was receiving attention from other women. She knew when he was being ogled, even when he didn't pay attention. It was as if no one else could look at him. Not even appreciate his features, personality, or his wardrobe. None of it. That made him happy.
"Livvie…"
Pointing her finger at him, Olivia lowly stated, "Until the Lord says otherwise, you are mine. Got it?"
The intensity in her voice made his ears perk, hair raise on his arms, everything. What a turn on. When Olivia Pope spoke, a man had to listen.
"Okay."
"Do you?"
"Yes. Ma'am."
Olivia pursed her lips, seeing how Fitz wasn't appearing to look contrite. "What do you mean by that?"
"I personally like it when you're feisty. Now you know how I feel when you look like super hot when we go out. I'm proud but extra protective of you."
"Really now?"
"Mmhmm," he confirmed, unconsciously licking his lips. He took one step to tower over Olivia, tapping her nose with his finger, then placing his hands on her hips, rubbing his fingers on her sweater.
"Stop that. This isn't supposed to be a flirty moment, Grant. It took me a while to want to claim your fine ass, but now those days are long gone," Olivia said, trying to swat him away. "Just do better."
Kissing her cheek, he obliged. "I will, my love."
A few minutes later, they were back with the group, at a table. The time was going by, watching the kids, exchanging numbers for carpool and other meetups.
Fitz felt Olivia's hand in the middle of his back, and she leaned in.
"Let's go. I want to fuck you."
He shot an alarmed glance at her; already, she was talking to the woman across the table, acting like nothing had happened.
Fitz took a sip of water, hoping no one saw or heard. Then, he almost choked because Olivia's hand grazed over his crotch. She wasn't jealous anymore, only reminding him again of what was hers, and being very cruel since he couldn't pull her from their surrounding. Not wanting to embarrass himself, he was looking for a closet somewhere to handle this business.
Leaning over once more, while entertaining the people, she whispered, "Get my drift?"
"Mmhmm."
Composing himself, Fitz apologized to the group of their need to leave early. "Thanks, guys. Hopefully we will all get together before the holidays."
After they said their goodbyes, Fitz retrieved his son, and the three walked to the car.
Every time they made eye contact on their short drive home, Olivia would either stifle a laugh or pretend she did nothing wrong. Fitz sucked his teeth, baffled by her clever handiwork.
"Really, Liv? Some nerve, my dear."
She reached over the console, tapping his arm, "No one saw. You're the one showing emotion. How else was I going to get your attention? You told me to give you a sign when I was ready to leave." Lowering her voice, she added, "I know how quickly you get excited when I touch you!"
Fitz clutched his heart, "My body is a weakness!"
Clasping hands, she giggled, "Yes, I know, buddy boy. It sure is mine."
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. A special "thank you" for y'all who encourage me via here and Twitter, and actually still enjoy this story. This one is for you!
Next chapter, there will be a time jump, so we can get closer to the wedding. xo