"Because I need you!"

Surprised at her own admission, Olivia jumped from her seat wanting to run to another room and avoid what would be to happen. Fitz was just as surprised at her words as she was. What would she need him for? She's the one who does everything for him. He's the one who needs her.

"Liv, you don't need me. What do you think you need me for?"

"Not you. I need my job. I need something to keep me focused. Something that takes me all day and night to work on. Otherwise, I'd go insane. I need you to need me. I need to know that I'm needed, wanted, somewhere."

Fitz smiled and rounded the corner of the table to her in the blink of an eye. "I want you, Olivia. More than you can imagine. I need you more than you know. And not just for work. So, if I have to fire you to keep you, then I'll do it. I won't be happy about it, but I will."

"You sound more like you want to date me than keeping me as your assistant."

"I'm glad you finally get it."

"Wait. What?" Liv took a few steps back and stared at him a moment before going to the kitchen and taking out a bottle of water. "I'm dreaming. I'm still asleep. There's no way you want to date me. That's insane."

"I can assure you that you are wide awake. Liv, I wanted to wait until I was officially divorced to ask you out. But after this morning when I saw my dad in bed with you, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want to miss my chance and have you move on to the next person. We could date and work together."

"And how do you think that's going to work?"

"We separate our work life from our personal life. Shouldn't be a problem for you, you seem to be doing it for the past seven months."

Shaking her head, she wasn't convinced with anything he was saying. "What happens when we break up? Or we fight? Or you get pissed or jealous because Jerry or Huck is in my bed and not you."

"First, there's no guarantee that we are going to break up. Try not to go into this negative. Everyone fights. We've fought as boss and assistant and worked it out. We can do that the same way if we're together. As for Huck and Jerry, you don't need them, I'll be right here whenever you need me."

"You have business trips. Ones that I will not be going on."

"Then you have Huck over to get some sleep. Or I don't go on overnight trips."

"That's not an option. You have several coming up that are on the other side of the country or even in another country that you have to go to. And there's nights that Huck can't be here, but Jerry can be."

"No," he told her firmly as he stood up straight to his full height.

Liv smirked and shook her head. "One thing that's going to start a fight is you telling me no. I have been friends with your father for six years and I'm not going to stop just because you don't like it."

"I'm happy you're friends with him. I'm not happy with him spending the night in the same bed as you."

"That's not your choice."

"I think that as your boyfriend I should get a little say about it."

"I have not agreed to anything," she reminded him as she walked to stand right in front of him. "And let me just tell you," she continued while poking him in the chest with each word, "that Jerry has been here long before you and he'll be here long after you're gone. And another thing…"

Before she could continue, Fitz grabbed her finger from stabbing his chest and leaned down kissing her hard. Smothering her mouth with his, he licked her lips unable to help himself and pushed his tongue in. A moment after the shock sank in, she responded and copied his movements. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt to keep him to her body in one hand, her other found its way to his hair, tangling it between her fingers. Anything she was trying to tell him jumped out of her mind when their lips met. With one hand holding the back of her head, Fitz let his other trail down her back to hold her ass, pushing her into him more. Keeping her against him for as long as he could, he pulled away to let them both breathe after a few minutes. Not wanting to let him go yet, Liv laid her forehead against his chest.

"Do you really think that we can make this work?" she asked him.

Rubbing circles up her spine, he kissed the top of her head and smiled. "I think if we want something bad enough, we can make anything work."

"Fitz, I want this to work. I want this to be what we both want. And I want you to stay here as long as you want."

Picking her up easily, Fitz put her on the counter and stood in front of her making them at eye level. "Livie, I want you. I want whatever you are willing to give me. I want waking moments and sleeping dreams with you. I want to be the one to take care of you, to make sure you are okay. Do you think you can let me do that?"

"No one takes care of me. And the only time I need help is to sleep. I take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time. Even before Stephen was… I took care of myself."

"And you've done great so far. But it's okay to want to be taken care of. If you need me or want me then just tell me."

Looking away from him for a moment, she tried to come up with something to say, but all that came to mind was the truth. "Honest?"

"That's usually the best way to start a relationship," Fitz laughed.

"Jerry talked about you all the time in class. 'Fitz is great at his job. Fitz does great in the courtroom. Fitz can win over any jury'. And hearing the stories made me want to meet you. And when I was looking for a new job and found your post, I almost jumped out of my skin and called Jerry. He actually didn't know that I was working for you until two months in. When I told him I had been, he was happy. Now he could have someone to check on you. I think when you stopped talking to him, it hurt him the most. But when you two reconnected, he was ecstatic."

"I'm not seeing how any of this has to do with us."

"Jerry is part of my life. Probably more than he's part of yours. Blood or not. And if you can't handle that, then there's not going to be any use to start this."

Rubbing his palms over his face, Fitz gave it some thought for a few minutes. While he did, Liv sat on the counter watching. This is it. He can't handle me being friends with Jerry and he's going to walk. Well, at least I didn't tell him everything.

Fitz put his hands on either side of her legs, blocking her in. I've got to come up with something. Obviously, this is a deal breaker for her. And I can't lose when I've come this far. Think Fitz. Come up with something. Quick!

"Okay. I get you are friends with him. I don't have to like it, but I do have to respect it. My dad and I have issues and they might never get resolved. That, though, is a him and I problem. It's not a you and him problem. For your sake, I will play nice with him. We will get along and try to work things out. I can't promise anything about my relationship with him. But I promise that I will try."

"Good. That's all I am asking for right now about Jerry."

Putting his hands on her knees, he ran his thumbs over the sides of her legs. "You are very open to this. I thought for sure you would have turned me down and thrown me out."

"Well, I got some pretty amazing sleep, so I figured I'd give you at least a chance," she laughed.

"I think there's more behind that. I think you've wanted to go out with me since you started."

"Not since I started."

"Ah, so it's true. You want to go out with me. You want to date me," Fitz smiled and kissed her again.

Having no issue with it, Liv kissed him back and brought him closer to her. "Since you came back drunk from that lunch date with Richards and told me how sexy I was."

"I can't believe I said that out loud. I was sure I said it in my head."

"Oh no, you were very vocal. Very, very, vocal."

"That explains why you were so pissed off. Can I ask you something and get an honest answer?"

Worried what he might ask, she bit her lip to hold the snarky comeback. "I reserve the right not to answer."

"Liv, I'm serious. I want to know."

"I'm still holding my reserve. What do you want to know?"

Making sure that he could stop her if she tried to wiggle her way out, he locked her fingers on each hand with his before he spoke. "When you didn't answer the phone or reply to my texts, I got worried, so I tracked your phone. I know you didn't like it and I'm sorry it upset you. But what were you doing in Maryland?"

"Fitz…"

"Honest, Livie. What were you doing in Maryland?"

Shaking her head, she did not want to tell him why she was there. "I'm exercising my right not to answer."

"It's that bad? What? Do you think I'm going to hold it against you or something?"

Tightening her fingers on his, she could tell he was hurt by her not answering. "I trust you. If you wouldn't hold my inability to sleep against me, I'm sure you wouldn't hold anything against me."

"Then tell me. If you trust me then you should be able to tell me anything."

"Fitz please. I need you to understand that there are things that I can't tell you. And there's things that I don't want to tell you, but I might at some point. Then there's things that I don't want you to ever know about. You get that my personal life is kept separate from my work life. So, please try to understand that I don't want you to know things."

"You aren't telling me because I'm your boss? Then tell me as your boyfriend."

"I'm not telling you because I don't want to. And I don't think we've said anything about labeling other than going out."

"Well, I'm labeling it. There, now you're my girlfriend. Too bad if you don't like it." Giving her another kiss on her soft lips, Fitz still wasn't ready to drop the conversation. "Do you think you'll tell me eventually?"

"I might tell you certain things, but I have to do it in my time. I'm sure you have things that you don't want to tell me."

"Ha, like what? You know my entire life, Livie. I can't hide anything from you because you find out anyway."

"That's true. I'm very good at finding things out."

Looking at their locked hands again, Fitz conceded for the time being. "Alright, I am going to drop you running off to Maryland and being late for work without any notice for now. But at another point in time, I will bring it back up and I want a completely honest answer. Deal?"

"On one condition."

"Such as?"

"Sleep in my room tonight."

"Deal."