Just wanted to say I really didn't expect myself to upload again already but I've been enjoying writing this and I hope you all enjoy it as well. Sorry in advance for any errors.
It has been a week since they last saw each other but they understood why. He is still heavily undercover but he still reaches out to her whenever he can. They've had a few short conversations over text that really only consisted of asking one another how the other was doing and to be safe. He reminded her numerous times that he was being safe. He knew she was worried based on how often she told him to be careful but he knew it worried her even more when he was unable to answer her right away. He also told her to not worry so much about him, he promised he'll be fine and that he will come to see her as soon as he can. She knows he's desperately trying so she believes him. She still really wanted to see him that night after they talked on the phone. Like she had guessed she didn't sleep as well as she did when he was there.
"Come on, Fin I'll cut it down to a hour or two." She had been trying to convince Fin to have a small party to celebrate how long he's been at SVU. He truly was a good, compassionate and trustworthy detective and now sergeant. She knows he isn't a fan of parties or being the center of attention but she doesn't even remember the last time she's done something special for him. She's sitting in an office chair in front of his desk almost begging him to let her and the rest of the squad do this for him. They're all surrounding him and he's just trying his best to ignore them and stay focused on his computer. They all know better because it's been a slow day and barely had anything to do or files to write up so he definitely isn't busy.
He then stops and looks at the people surrounding him. She smiles when she hears him say "Fine, but I better not hear anything from you when it's time for your party."
She nods her head then mouths a thank you before she goes back into her office. She then busies her self in contacting past friends of Fin's that she can possibly invite to the celebration.
"Ahh it's too late you can't change your mind." She says putting a hand up when she sees Fin walk through her office door.
"That's not what I came for, just checking on you." He sits in the front of her desk after closing the door behind him.
"I'm good thanks for asking." She gives him a small smile.
"You talked to Stabler yet?"
Of course he brings him up. It seemed as though Fin had been trying to get them together a while after Elliot's returned from Rome.
"Uhh yeah actually we spoke a few days ago. He's doing good seems like he's almost done with his UC assignment." She took off her glasses giving him her full attention.
"You two good?" He asked her standing up.
"Yeah." She said with the small smile on her face turning into a bigger one.
He nodded his head before reaching for the doorknob. "Maybe you can bring him as your date to my party." He said plainly then exited.
"Noahhh, dinner I going to ready in a few okay sweetie." She screamed out to the boy who was in his room getting dressed for bed.
She stirred the spaghetti sauce one last time before placing a top over the pot. She rinsed her hands then stepped out of the kitchen to check on him.
When she stepped into the room she was presented with the visual of Noah fully dressed strewn out on his bed, nearly hanging off the side lying on his back. She watched him for a second because something was obviously wrong. She caught the heaving of his chest as if he was struggling to breathe automatically rushing to his bed.
She lifted him by his shoulders pulling his upper body into her lap.
"Hey, baby are feeling okay?" She held the back of his head keeping him looking at her.
"Mommy my chest hurts." He whimpered barely able to get his words out without catching his breath.
It instantly caught her attention that his asthma was flaring up and she had to help him right away.
"Okay Noah it's just your asthma I'm going to get your medicine okay."
She fixed his head on his pillow and body in the middle of the bed.
She went into his top drawer pulling out his inhaler. She helped him sit up then gave him two pumps of the gas. She learned over the years that his inhaler usually works faster than everything they've tired so she always treats him with it first during an attack.
Within minutes he's breathing calms only just a little.
"Okay sweet boy we're going to have to move to my room so I can put you on the nebulizer and I can keep an eye on you."
He nods weakly and she try's to keep the tears from falling. Even though it isn't the first time she has to do this, it's never something a mother can get use to.
She guides him down the hall and into her bedroom where he lays on the left side of her bed. He already knows what to do.
She places the liquid into the nebulizer cup before putting the mask on his face then plugging in the machine.
She kneeled next to him wiping the tears from his face.
"You're going to start feeling better soon." She whispered running her fingers through his curls.
She stays there for while until half of the liquid is gone.
"Do you Feel good enough to eat?" She asked him.
"I feel better but I'm not hungry." He says with a dry tired voice.
"Okay, I'll be right back I'm going to put the food away."
She lost her appetite herself so she also passed on dinner.
She's about to head back into the bedroom with Noah until she hears a knock at her door. She knows it's him so she doesn't hesitate to open the door.
"Hey, Elliot" she says when she opens the door wide for him.
He can tell something's wrong upon first look. She's pale and her eyes are red and glassy.
He gives her a 'hi' then enters her apartment. He waits until he's inside to ask questions.
He stood next to her sofa but doesn't sit. He just waits for her to lock her door and make her way over to him. She does make it to him and he can see she's tired.
"Noah okay?" He says nodding down indicating to the inhaler she absentmindedly has a death grip on in her hands.
He reached for the inhaler and she doesn't put up any resistance. He places it on her coffee table then places both hands on the sides of her face using his thumbs to rub away tears she didn't know had fallen. He came with more intimate actions tonight. His finger softly rake through her hair as he drys her face never taking his eyes off of her.
"His asthma um flared up I think its because the weather's changing it's getting a bit cold but he's feeling better." He could hear the trembling in her voice as she spoke.
"He's going to be okay, he's strong like his mom." She smiles at him and he drops his hands from her face.
"Do you want anything, something to drink?" She ask walking into the kitchen grabbing a mug from the cupboard.
"No, thanks."
He takes the time he has now to look around her home. They way it's decorated it surely seems like her. Most of the framed photos are of her and Noah and one or two with her squad. A few men he hasn't seen before who he hopes are just old co-workers.
"Coffee?" He says questioningly when he sees her pour a cup full.
"Yeah, I'm probably not going to get much sleep anyway. I want to keep an eye on Noah sometimes it doesn't subsided so easily." She tells him before before taking a mouth full of the coffee.
"Hmmm" He walks over to her book shelf where he finds more pictures and at the very top he spots a picture of them. It's a picture they framed before going undercover for an illegal adoption ring.
She leaves the kitchen and stands beside him to observe what he's staring at with her coffee still in hand.
"Do you remember when we took that?" She ask briefly looking up at him then down into her mug.
"Of course I do."
He looks down at her to see that she isn't even looking at him. For whenever reason he's not sure why. She's probably not ready to confront her feelings just yet. Even though she still hasn't said anything he know it's there. It's in the small things she does. The soft smiles she gives him, the way she's consistently checking up on him and the few times he had gotten to hold her he's able to feel her resistance when she has to let him go.
All of it has him staring at her and he hopes she knows how beautiful she is to him. How beautiful she is period. She can feel his gaze on her. Almost as if she can feel his eye roam over her body. It makes her a bit nervous she isn't sure if she should look up.
She doesn't have a choice to when both of his hands cup her face which causes her eyes to align with his.
He brushes away the hair that lay on her cheek. "You're so beautiful."
She isn't sure if she's breathing at this point. She sees the sincerity in his eyes that come with the words he has just spoken. Her cheeks turn crimson because she now knows for a fact Elliot thinks that she's beautiful. Their silence is deafening and he brings her a little closer and he's glad she doesn't pull back.
She heart beat quickens but for a different reason when she hears her son call for her in the other room. She exhaled softly not loud enough for him to hear. He releases her so she can tend to her son.
Before she can say anything he nods and she's backing away from him.
He's surprised when he hears her say "You can come and meet him if you want." stopping at the beginning of the hallway with shallow smile.
She leaves before he has the time to answer. If that isn't another way she shows she trust him, he isn't sure what is.
By the time he follows after she's already in the bedroom. He stops in the doorway where he can see Olivia sitting at Noah's legs with her hand resting gently on his chest.
"Who's that?" They both hear the young boy ask after his mask comes off.
"So you remember the friend I was talking to when we went sledding and I stepped away to carry some work stuff."
He shook his head when he remembered the encounter. Elliot remembers too because it's the first time he saw both of them together.
"This is him?"
"Yes this is my friend Elliot, he was my first partner when I was a detective."
"Nice to meet you, Noah" she hadn't realized that he was now standing behind her until she heard him speak.
"Hi"
"Okay sweet boy, it's time for bed you just have to take your ventolin."
"I don't like to take that I makes me feel shaky and my heart beats fast."
"I know you don't but you have to, we have to make sure you're one hundred percent better I promise you won't even feel it while you're asleep."
He's quite as he watches the both of them in their natural state. She gave him a teaspoon of medicine then pulled the covers over his body and kissed him good night.
"Bye Elliot" he says as he goes to exit the room.
"Good night Noah" he responded.
He leads their way back to her living room.
"Thank you for making the time out to come see me." She says closing in fine distance in between them.
"It's no problem Liv."
He pulls her into his chest for a hug that lasted longer than they usually would.
"El?" She says when they finally pull away from each other.
"We're planning on having a party for Fin, later this week would you want to come with me?"
"Yes, I'll pick you up" he waits a few seconds before he says "Try to get some sleep."