Chapter 16: Home Bound

Summary: Rafa is released from the hospital and life returns to normal… and then some.

"Must I sit in this thing? I was shot in the abdomen, not the leg," Rafael grumbled as an orderly helped him settle into a wheelchair.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's hospital discharge policy regardless of what part of your body was injured."

Disgruntled and ready to just be home already, Rafael mumbled a string of Spanish slurs as he plopped into the chair. He was in dire need of a shower and was sick of suffering the small indignities common with hospital stays.

"Oh Rafa, you'll be out of here in a minute. Just have some patience." Olivia patted his shoulder indulgently and handed him a steaming cup of gourmet coffee. "Here, this should improve your mood."

"Trying to butter me up so I don't complain the whole ride home?" He smirked.

"Is it working?"

Rafael shrugged nonchalantly. He released a heavy, satisfied sigh after swallowing a sip of the delectable, hot liquid. After days of stodgy hospital coffee, his tastes buds were in heaven with the explosion of flavor.

"Thought that would do the trick," Olivia laughed knowingly, following the orderly out of the room. She reviewed the aftercare paperwork provided by the doctor and confirmed everything she would need to do. Rafael would need help cleaning his wounds and replacing clean bandages twice a day for the next week, followed by once a day for another week.

"Alright, Mr. Barba, here we are. You can get out of the chair now," the orderly stated as he pulled to a stop near the exit. "Good luck, sir."

Nodding his thanks, Rafael strolled through the double doors and breathed in the crisp city air. Turning to Olivia, he smiled broadly, relieved to be out of that godforsaken hospital bed.

"Ready to go home? To my place? Noah will be so happy to see," Olivia said leading him to her car. He nodded. Her apartment was becoming his home, more and more.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back to work?" Olivia asked Rafael the fourth day after he was released from the hospital.

He loved spending time with her and Noah, but they still had work and school. He was bored stiff sitting around by himself and wanted – no, needed – to feel useful. "I'm sure. Between my hospital stay and the past few days here, I've already been out of work for far too long. It's time to get back to it."

She understood the need to keep busy, having been there before herself. Still, she worried. "Promise me you will take it easy."

"I spoke with Jack – I will be restricted to desk duties for the foreseeable future." He was not pleased with that restriction – he loved the courtroom – but he knew it was necessary, for now.

"Jack is a smart man."

Rolling his eyes, Rafael tugged Olivia toward him as he sat back on the bed. "Know what would help speed up my healing process?"

Playing dumb, Olivia retorted, "Rest?"

He shot her a dark look. "Before rest…" He pulled her atop him as he leant back. "Mmmm, I need you, mi amor. It's been too long. I forgot what you feel and taste like."

"You're such an exaggerator, Rafa." Worried about his wounds, Olivia straddled his hips, holding the weight of her torso on her forearms. Already shirtless as they were getting ready for bed, she placed teasing kisses across his chest, up his neck, and along his heavily stubbled jaw. He hadn't shaved since the day he was shot, and his beard was thickening.

Rafael tangled his fingers in Olivia's hair as it surrounded him, pushing it back behind her ears. His lips crashed to hers wantonly, their tongues tangling. His hands slid down her back to grasp her ass, pulling her closer as his hips bucked. His senses were on fire as he drank in the taste of her lips. While she was correct that he exaggerated forgetting what she felt and tasted like, he certainly missed it. His side ached, but the joy of kissing and touching Liv overpowered any pain.

Moving his lips to the silky skin of her neck, causing a moan to slip from her lips, Rafael slid a hand beneath the waistband of her pajama pants. He could already feel how wet she was through her panties. He quickly pushed the pajama pants and panties down her hips, slipping his long fingers between her folds.

He captured her lips, again, to swallow the moans that followed when he teased her nub. He was rock hard as his hips jerked up, wanting to feel some friction of his own. Increasing the pressure on her clit, Rafael brought Olivia over the edge quickly before shoving down his boxer briefs and slipping into her.

"Mmmmm," he groaned into his girlfriend's neck.

Cognizant of his injured right side, Olivia sat up to ride him, keeping her weight off his torso. Their gazes locked as breaths quickened. Knowing Noah was asleep in the room down the hall, their moans were hushed and breathy as they came undone.

Olivia collapsed on Rafael's left side and snuggled up to his cool, damp skin. Feeling drained, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I love you, Olivia Benson."

He was asleep before Olivia responded.

….

Freshly showered and standing next to the bathroom sink, Rafael watched as Olivia tenderly dabbed his stitched wounds with medicated gel and secured a clean bandage in place with medical tape. Glancing in the mirror, he observed the healing bruises on his face, now various shades of light purple and yellow. He still looked rough, but at least he was freshly shaven again.

"Keep an eye on that," Olivia said, standing up to meet his eyes. "I can come by your office and replace it, if needed. I packed extras in your briefcase as well as my bag."

"It will be fine. I'll be stuck at my desk all day anyway, Liv. It will be no different than when I was sitting around here all day." He grumbled for show, secretly enjoying how she fussed over him.

Pressing a heated kiss to his lips, Olivia skimmed her fingers over the smooth skin of his face. "Okay, baby face, I'll make coffee and let you get dressed."

"Thanks, Liv," he said earnestly, "for everything."

Flashing him a radiant smile, she nodded. "I would do anything for you, Rafa. I love you."

"Ditto, mi amor," he grinned. "Now go make my coffee, woman!"

Smirking at her retreating chuckles, Rafael donned dark gray pants and a powder blue dress shirt. Tucking the shirt carefully into his pants and securing a smooth black belt around his waist, he considered adding a pair of suspenders. Erring on the side of caution for his wounds, he forewent the suspenders and added the matching waistcoat and suit jacket. He paired the ensemble with a light yellow and blue striped tie, riotous pair of socks, and stylish black dress shoes.

Glancing once more in the mirror, Rafael did what he could with his hair – he was in dire need of a haircut. He would have to find the time this week to see his stylist.

"Hi Rafa!" Noah greeted as Rafael entered the living area and grasped the travel mug of coffee Olivia held out to him.

"Hi mijo," he greeted the boy with a kiss to his curly head. "Did Mami make you waffles?"

Noah nodded excitedly, mouth full of bits of waffle and an overabundance of syrup. He would be hell on wheels at school with all that sugar. Good luck to his teachers, Rafael thought.

"Would you like some, Rafa?" Olivia asked, holding up the box of frozen waffles. Rafael grimaced and shook his head, to which she chuckled. "Ok, well, Lucy should be here in a moment if you want to ride to work with me."

"That would be nice."

The ride to his building was pleasant, holding Liv's right hand in his as she drove through the busy city streets. They chatted leisurely about nothing and everything. He could get used to commuting with her – it made him daydream about a charming suburban life, yard with a white picket fence, a dog, and all that. Shaking himself, Rafael placed a loving his on her lips and squeezed her hand once she pulled up in front of his building.

"Have a great day, dear," he said with a cheeky wink before he closed the door to her vehicle.

…..

"You're alive!" Carmen teased as her boss approached her desk outside his office. Her smile faltered a little at the sight of the lingering bruising on his face.

"Yes, yes, how unfortunate, I know," he sassed. "Thank you for the flowers, by the way."

"Of course! I'm just glad you're okay."

"Did I miss much?"

Carmen stood, leading him into his office. She left a pile of notes and files on his desk for his return. Pulling one off the top, she handed the file to Rafael. "Just a few things, but this one is the most important. Anderson covered the trial for Anna's case – he left you some notes and would like to discuss the case with you when you are free."

Rifling through the file, Rafael's expression darkened at some of Anderson's notes. The man's style was much different from his and he did not like the train of thought on some of Anderson's questions in the notes. "Please tell me he won."

"The verdict came back yesterday. The defendants were found guilty on all counts," Carmen explained. "The gang unit is also working to connect your shooting to the defendants' and their gang."

"Good, good," Rafael replied, his attention moving to focus on the rest of the pile on his desk.

Taking the hint, Carmen turned on her heel. "I'll leave you to play catch up. Let me know if you need anything. Oh! One more thing, Jack wants to see you as well, once you're settled."

"Thanks Carmen," Rafael called after her. Relief washed over him knowing that the DA's office won Anna's case. He spent the next hour triaging the pile on his desk before moving down the hall to check in with Jack McCoy.

Rafael tapped on the open door, leaning against the doorframe of his boss' office. Glancing up from the document he was reviewing, Jack smiled broadly. "Ah, Rafael! It's good to see you."

"Jack," he nodded a greeting. "It's good to be back."

"I trust Lieutenant Benson took good care of you while you recovered?"

The knowing look in Jack's eyes caused a blush to creep up Rafael's neck and cheeks. Clearing his throat, he blurted, "Uh, yes… yes, she did. She has quite the bedside manner."

Jack let out a loud laugh, surprising Rafael. "I have no doubt. The two of you are quite the power couple."

A few more minutes of small talk and the conversation switched to the status of current cases, followed by an update on Rafael's assault.

"The gang unit has gathered sufficient evidence to connect the BX-9 suspects from Anna Lathe's case to your shooting. It appears that the shooters were targeting Anna rather than you, which is what we assumed from the beginning," Jack explained.

"Who will be prosecuting?"

"I will," Jack admitted to Rafael's surprise. "You are my best prosecutor and I want to send a message that violence against anyone in this office will be met with the harshest of consequences. Therefore, the DA himself will take the lead."

Filled with gratitude, Rafael placed his hand over his heart. "I sincerely appreciate that, Jack."

"The trial will be in three weeks. We'll be ready."

It was a long week of adjusting to office work only and he struggled with making it through the whole day. Rafael experienced a level of exhaustion that even copious amounts of coffee could not defeat. Clearly, his body was still recovering. He looked forward to a relaxing weekend at Liv's as he left his office mid-afternoon on Friday. Strolling down the steps outside the building, Rafael bowed his head.

"Hey handsome," Olivia called, leaning against the side of her vehicle. "Looking for a good time?"

Rafael's head shot up, grinning broadly at his girlfriend. He loved when she shed the serious demeanor in favor of some playfulness. Pupils dilating with arousal despite his exhaustion, he said, "Sure baby, but you'll have to do all the work."

"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem," she whispered against his lips as he leaned in for a lingering kiss. "Let's get you home, handsome."

On the way back to her apartment, Olivia held Rafael's hand in hers. Occasionally, his thumb caressed her skin before he pulled their clasped hands to his lips. At red lights, and there were many on their route, he leant over for chaste kisses. She loved moments like this when he was so affectionate and tactile. She started daydreaming about them commuting to and from work together daily, greeting Noah at home together, cooking dinner as a family, Rafael staying with them forever…

"What do you think about moving in together?" Olivia asked suddenly as she pulled to a stop at an intersection.

Rafael froze, half leaning towards her for a red-light kiss, his eyes wide. Squeezing her hand, Rafael continued to stare at her hopeful gaze. Say something, you fool! So many thoughts fluttered through his head, he didn't know what to say. He was still baffled that Olivia wanted him, loved him of all people and each of these intimate steps were almost overwhelming. He wasn't lying previously when he told her he was all in, that he wanted everything she was willing to give. But… part of him was terrified of screwing it all up. He never lived with a woman before, or anyone really, aside from his mother and college roommates. However, with as much time as they spent together at her place, he had a taste for what it would be like. Still… his thoughts tumbled with all the normal, human things that he suddenly thought would turn her off from him.

The light turned green before he responded, and Olivia's face fell. "Sorry, I know, it's probably too soon for that. Forget I said anything."

Feeling dejected, she tried to extract her hand from his. Pulled from his spiraling thoughts, Rafael maintained a death grip, not wanting to let her go as he opened his mouth a few times. He still wasn't sure what to say but settled for complete honesty.

"Honestly? I love the idea of moving in together, but I'm terrified at the same time," he admitted.

Olivia flashed him a watery smile. "Me too, Rafa. That's the fun of it though!"

"If you say so," he chuckled. "I've never lived with a girlfriend before, Liv. I don't want to mess this up."

It was endearing to see him being vulnerable when he was normally so confident… so cocky. "You won't mess this up. Look at how good we are together! And we've basically been sort of living together with the amount of time you spend at my place."

He was silent a little while longer, and she took his hesitancy as continued worry over messing up. Deciding to lighten the mood, she blurted, "Don't worry, Rafa, I won't kick you out if you take a nasty dump and stink up the bathroom."

To her satisfaction, that shocked him out of his silence as he shouted, shocked. "OLIVIA!"

She laughed, delighted at his scandalized expression. "What? I have a son, as you well know, and boys are generally stinky beings with all that burping and farting. There is nothing you can do that I haven't seen before."

"Dios mio, woman! Can you stop?" It was too fun teasing him when he was so uncomfortable.

"Okay, enough teasing. I'm serious, Rafael. There is nothing you could do that would ruin things between us, stinky poops included. Well, except cheating on me."

Shaking his head, Rafael tightened his hold on her hand. "I would never cheat on you. I'm no fool, I know perfection when I've found it."

Olivia continued to enlighten him of all the delightful benefits of living together, reminding him of all the things he hoped would happen between them. By the time they pulled into a parking spot outside of Olivia's apartment building, a broad smile spread across his face as visions of everything he wanted with Olivia and Noah danced through his head. Why did he even hesitate?

"Let's move in together this weekend!" Rafael declared with sudden exuberance, causing Olivia to laugh gleefully.

"Noah will be so excited!"