Summary: Rafa and Noah search for the perfect ring.
Notes: While I have included bits of some canon cases, this fic remains largely AU. Therefore, I am ignoring all of the Sheila Porter nonsense.
Rafa was infuriated with Brian Cassidy. He did not often daydream about violence, but he wanted to deck the IAB investigator in the face. How dare he interfere in the investigation into Liv. Hadn't he caused enough collateral damage in his girlfriend's life already.
"I thought I was helping her! I would never hurt Olivia!" the man claimed when Rafa cornered him outside the courthouse.
"Yet you handed the investigator exactly what she needed to rake Liv over the coals. What were you thinking, hijo de puta!" Rafa seethed, his green eyes blazing with anger. He imagined the satisfying crunch that would come from breaking the other man's nose.
Brian was not easily intimidated, but Rafa radiated with such intense energy that he backed down. "I really wasn't thinking when I mentioned the psychiatrist. I really did have the best of intentions."
Putting himself in Cassidy's shoes, Rafa might have done the same thing – though he would have been much smarter about it. Feeling his anger deflate a little, he nodded. He knew the man still loved Liv in his own way and he felt horrible as it was, no need to rub salt further into the wound. "Next time, come to me first so I can advise you to keep your mouth shut, lo entiendes?"
Cassidy's countenance shifted in a flash. "Why the fuck should I come to you first? You're not her attorney. Hell, I don't know why you're even talking to me about this. You got the hots for her or something?"
Ah, there was the hot-headed rashness he remembered. "You should come to me first because Liv and I are living together. And, unlike you, I actually know how to help her." With that, Rafa turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving Cassidy standing there, mouth hanging open.
….
"Sir?"
Rafa lifted his head from the legal pad full of notes he was focused on to find Carmen in his doorway. He quirked an eyebrow in lieu of speaking.
"Mr. McCoy is here to see you."
"Thank you, Carmen."
Carmen stepped back with a nod and waved Jack McCoy in. "Rafael," the elder DA greeted as he stepped into the large office and placed his hands on the back of one of the chairs in front of Rafa's desk.
"Jack, it's good to see you. What can I do for you?" Rafa inquired.
"I come bearing some news that I know you will appreciate and figured you might want to be the one to share it with the person it concerns," Jack replied.
Curiosity piqued, Rafa nodded slowly. "Ok…" Jack smiled at the clear hesitation and knew that Rafael was at a complete loss as to what this could be about.
"I shut down IAB's investigation into Lieutenant Benson for child abuse allegations. Knowing the good Lieutenant as we do, this office deemed the investigation ridiculous and unnecessary. She has been fully cleared of any doubt."
Rafa's eyes widened and a smile crossed his lips. "That is very good news. Liv will be relieved. This entire thing has been weighing her down."
"As I can imagine. Well, I'll leave you be so you can share the good news. Don't hesitate to take off early and share the news in person," Jack said with a tip of his head, knowing his best ADA would want to be with Olivia when he told her. Rafael was already packing up before the DA left his office.
As he left 1 Hogan Place, Rafa pulled out his phone to text his girlfriend.
Are you still at the precinct?
Yes, but I'm hoping to get out of here in a bit. Why?
I'm on my way. We can head home together.
See you soon then, Rafa.
Five minutes later, Rafa breezed through the squad room and into her office.
"That was fast!" Liv greeted, drinking in the sight of him. He looked strikingly handsome as his face lit up with joy at seeing her.
"I was already halfway here when you sent your last text."
"Eager to see me?" she teased, stepping closer to kiss him. She laughed as he pulled her tight against his body. "I'll take that as a yes."
Rafa lost himself in her kisses for a few minutes before easing away. Taking her hand and entwining their fingers, he led her to the couch in the corner of her office. Turning to face her when he sat, Rafa said, "Jack McCoy shared some news with me just before I left the office."
"Oh?" Liv's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she waited to hear more.
"He shut down the IAB investigation, mi amor. He thought it was as ridiculous as we did. You've been cleared of any doubt."
Liv slowly absorbed the information as she stared at him. When it clicked, she threw her arms around Rafa and cried happy tears. "Oh, thank goodness!"
Running his hands up and down her back, he chuckled. "I thought that would make you happy and I had to rush over here and tell you in person."
Leaning back, she dried her tears and smiled broadly. "I am so glad you did. Thank you, Rafa. And thanks to Jack for having some sense!"
They shared a few more chaste kisses before letting Liv get back to what she was wrapping up before he arrived.
….
"Ok Bensons, dinner is served," Rafa called from the kitchen as he plated the Cuban fritas he just made. They came out pretty well, if he did say so himself.
"Mmmm, smells delicious, Rafa," Liv said, coming into the kitchen to hug him from behind. "What are we having?"
Handing her a plate, Rafa said, "Cuban fritas – basically, a burger done with Cuban flair."
"Oh, I do enjoy things that have Cuban flair," she murmured into his neck with a giggle, much to Rafa's amusement.
They sat at the dining table and dug in. Even Noah stayed quiet, too busy devouring his meal. Once everyone's plate was clear, Rafa smiled. "You guys hated it, I see."
"No Rafa!" Noah laughed gleefully at Rafa's silliness.
"It tasted even better than it smelled, Rafa. That was delicious. Thank you for dinner," Liv said softly. "Now, you boys pick out a movie while I clean up."
Rafa and Noah swiftly moved to the couch, conspiring on movie options. It warmed her heart to watch them interact. They grew closer day after day, and they were practically inseparable now. As she rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, Liv thought about how lucky they were to have such a wonderful man in their lives. Rafa was a caring, compassionate, funny, intelligent, and loving man who would go to the ends of the Earth for the ones he loved. The fact that he was gorgeous and great in bed were just added benefits.
Since Amanda's joke about betting on when Rafa would propose, Liv spent more and more time thinking about marrying him. For a while there, she gave up on the hope of getting married – her dating and relationship history was not the best. But now that she was with the perfect man, she wanted nothing more than to officially take him off the market. They would be coming up on a year of being together in a couple months and she knew that they were both all in on this relationship.
Staring off to space, her hands wet and the faucet still running, she wondered when Rafa would decide to pop the question.
Unbeknownst to Liv, Rafa noticed her slip into a daze in the kitchen and briefly wondered what she was thinking about. Turning to Noah, he decided to take advantage of the moment and whispered, "Mijo, we need to keep this a secret, but do you want to help me pick out a ring for Mami this weekend?"
Noah's blue eyes bulged as he nodded with vigor. "Are you going to… do the thing?" he asked, not wanting to say the words 'ask momma to marry you' in case he spoke too loudly. He was certain Rafa knew what he meant.
Indeed, Rafa did as the man smiled warmly at the boy. "I haven't decided when yet, but I want to have the ring ready for when I do decide to… do the thing."
Noah laughed, clapping his hands in excitement. He could not wait for Rafa to ask his Momma to marry him. He would finally have a real Daddy and it would make his Momma really happy.
Noticing that Liv snapped out of her daze and was finishing up in the kitchen, Rafa turned to Noah and put his finger to his lips, letting the little boy know that they had to keep quiet about their conversation. Rafa wanted it to be a surprise to Liv.
"Did you boys pick out a movie?" Liv asked settling into the spot next to Rafa.
Noah selected The Sandlot, and they settled in for a relaxing evening as a soon-to-be-official family.
…
The next day, Rafa dropped a subtle hint to Amanda that Liv could use a girls' night out that weekend and hoped the blonde woman would take the bait.
Sure enough, after Liv came home from a long day and they settled onto the couch to relax a bit before bed, she let him know that Amanda invited her out on Saturday evening.
"I don't have to go if you wanted to do something together," she said with a yawn. She was exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in a bit on Saturday.
"No, I think you should go. It will be good for you both and I'll take the munchkin out in the afternoon so you can have some alone time," he said, internally delighted that his plan was coming together.
"You're too good to me, Rafa."
When she yawned again, Rafa gently pulled her up from the couch and led her to bedroom. "Let's go to bed, mi amor."
…
"Where are we going first?" Noah asked, holding Rafa's hand, and skipping down the sidewalk. The boys were on a mission now. They left Liv at the apartment, soaking in a rejuvenating bath before her evening out with Amanda.
"We're heading to a jeweler that I know to look at engagement rings. We have to find the perfect one though, so we may need to go to other shops," Rafa explained.
"Ok. What are we doing for dinner?"
"Always thinking with your stomach, mijo! You really are my mini-me," Rafa laughed and tickled Noah with his free hand, much to the child's delight. "We'll grab dinner somewhere while we're out."
"Somewhere fancy?" Noah questioned, glancing around the city block they were walking down, noting that the shops and restaurants seemed much nicer than the ones his mom usually took him to.
"We'll see, mijo. Ah, here we are," Rafa said as he came to a stop in front of a shop window showcasing brilliant diamond jewelry.
"Woah," Noah breathed, taking in all the sparkles. He didn't have much concept of money yet, but that jewelry looked expensive! He knew he would have to keep his hands to himself as he followed Rafa into the shop, or he would be in big trouble.
A lady with sharp eyes and really red lips greeted them once they were inside. Noah did not like the way the woman was looking at Rafa. It was like she was a tiger ready to pounce on him. Noah held tightly to Rafa's hand and leaned into his side.
"How can I help you handsome gentleman?" the woman purred as she walked out from behind a row of glass displays. Noah thought she even walked like a tiger stalking its prey. It was creepy.
Rafa hadn't said a word yet but cleared his throat heavily when the woman reached out to touch his arm. Stepping back sharply, yanking Noah with him, Rafa narrowed his eyes at the predatory look in the woman's eyes. "Is Rocco in today?" he asked, politely letting the woman know that he would not be seeking her help.
Undeterred, the woman sauntered closer. "Are you sure I can't help you? I have no doubt that I have something you like." Her finger traced down his chest just as Rocco emerged from the back office.
"Angela!" Rocco snapped observing the look on his friend's face at the woman's behavior. Honestly, if she wasn't a top seller, he would have fired her skanky ass already. "There is a list on the desk in my office, why don't you call the people on it to let them know their orders are ready."
Noah and Rafa watched with relief as the woman huffed and stomped away. "Thanks, Rocco. She was a little… much."
Shaking his head, Rocco clapped his friend on the shoulder. "She's a piece of work, but she's a hell of a seller. So, what are we looking for today and who is your little friend?" The large, dark-haired man wearing a lot of gold jewelry looked down at Noah with a toothy smile.
At an encouraging nod from Rafa, Noah reached out a hand and said, "I'm Noah. Rafa is going to ask my Momma to marry him."
"Oh, really?" Rocco said, shaking Noah's hand and shooting a cheeky smile at Rafa. "I need to know more about your Momma, kid. Tell me everything."
"Rocco!" Rafa warned but Noah was already rambling about his mom and Rafa and their trip to the Jersey Shore. The older man was delighted to hear all that Noah shared and was very happy for his friend.
"Rafa, your young friend is quite the charmer. I imagine his mother is equally charming as well," Rocco said with a wink. "Why don't we take a look at some engagement rings."
Rafa and Noah followed Rocco over to a display case containing a large selection of diamond rings. With a discerning gaze, Rafa perused the case twice before selecting one particular ring that appealed to him. "Let's see that one, Rocco."
As requested, Rocco pulled out a platinum ring set with three emerald cut diamonds at the center and smaller round cut diamonds along the band and handed it to Rafa. Noah stepped on his toes to get a better look until Rafa lowered his hand so they could both admire the ring.
"What do you think, mijo?" Rafa asked, eyebrows raised.
"It's sparkly! I think Momma will love it," Noah replied honestly.
"Well, I agree with that assessment," Rafa chuckled. He felt sure this was the perfect choice for Liv and spent a few minutes haggling over the price tag with Rocco. In the end, Rocco gave him a discount for being a valued customer and placed an order for the ring in Olivia's size. It would be ready in a week.
"That was easy, Rafa!" Noah declared as they left the shop with a wave to Rocco.
"Much easier than I expected, mijo. That ring just felt like… the one."
Noah nodded as if he really knew what Rafa meant. "Can we go to dinner now?" he asked, stomach growling. Rafa laughed loudly and led the way to a nearby restaurant.
…
"Domesticity looked good on him," Lucia whispered to Liv when the family of three joined her for Sunday brunch. It was wonderful to see her son looking so happy and in love.
Blushing, Liv hugged the woman tightly. "I agree, it does. He's taken to it extremely well."
"Mami," Rafa greeted his mother with a kiss to the cheek and dropped Noah into the seat next to her.
"Ah, mi nieto! Mi nino guapo!" Lucia declared raining kisses down on Noah's curly head. The little boy delighted in the attention given to him and soon the group was awash in Noah's peals of laughter.
Liv and Rafa shared an adoring glance at each other, cherishing the happiness of their little family.
A little while later, Liv escorted Noah to the restroom and Lucia seized the opportunity to harass her son about the future.
"Hijo, when do you plan to make this little family of yours official?"
"Mami!" Rafa hushed her with a roll of his bright green eyes. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Liv and Noah had made it to the bathroom, he leaned closer to his mother and whispered, "I bought a ring yesterday. I just haven't decided when to ask her."
Lucia practically squealed with happiness. Her son, the perennial bachelor, was finally ready to settle down! "Mi dulce nino estoy tan feliz por ti! I am sure you picked out a lovely ring and will know when the time is right to ask. This is everything I have always wanted for you."
Feeling his eyes well up, he smiled warmly at his mother. "Gracias, Mami. I just wish abuelita could have met Liv – they would have loved each other at first sight!"
"I never told you, but your abuelita knew Liv was the one for you the moment you first started talking about her to us. She said it was just a matter of time before you both realized it," Lucia said, placing her hand on top of Rafa's with a warm smile. They shared a moment of fond remembrance for Catalina Diaz as she was dearly missed.
By the time Liv and Noah returned, conversation turned to lighter topics. Once brunch was over, Noah begged Lucia to join them at the park, where the family spent the rest of the day playing together.