Match Making: Chapter 1
Detective Odafin Tutuola sat at his desk, staring blankly at the file in front of him. He tried to focus on work but his mind just wouldn't cooperate. He was thinking about his fellow detective, Olivia Benson, again. Something he knew he shouldn't be doing. They couldn't possibly have a relationship. Fin shook his head to clear it and sighed. Once again, Fin tried to concentrate on the document in front of him. Hopefully he would be able to get some work done today before his partner noticed and commented.
"Hey Fin. Yo! Earth to Fin! Hey! Space case!" John called to his partner.
~No such luck. ~ Fin thought. "Space case? Man, where the hell did you get that one? What do you want?" he answered.
"Where was your mind? I've been calling you for the last five minutes. What gives?" John asked.
"Off in my own little world. Sorry man," Fin answered.
"I gathered that. Care to share what kept you so occupied?" John questioned.
"No. My thoughts are none of your damn business." Fin fired back at John. He was getting sick of playing 20 questions.
"As you wish. I'm just curious." John let the subject drop and Fin looked at him with suspicion. John never let things go so easily. When John didn't ask anything else and for all appearances was working, Fin himself went back to reading his file. The rest of the day passed slowly for all the detectives, which in their little corner of the universe, that was a good thing. There was nothing like a day of paperwork to balance out 10 days of rape and rape/homicide cases.
When their shift was over, Elliot was the first one out the door. Olivia followed not long after, and Cragen left a half an hour after her. Fin finally got his focus on work and didn't notice everyone leaving until John kicked him under the desk.
"What the hell was that for?" Fin asked as he glared at John over a folder.
"I figured I'd try the physical approach this time. Now that I have your attention, do you want to go get a drink, maybe some dinner?" John questioned.
"Yeah sure. I suppose you want a ride home too?" Fin asked.
"Well since you offered. Come on, I'm hungry." John stood up and grabbed his coat and hat. Fin followed suit. The walked out to Fin's car and drove to a near by bar and grill. They staked out a table and a waitress came to take their orders for the bar. They were silent save for ordering their food. Once they placed their orders, John asked the question that had been bothering him all day.
"So are you going to tell me what you were thinking about this morning?" John asked.
"Why do you want to know about my thoughts? My mind isn't a good place to be." Fin answered him with a question.
"Yeah well, my minds no picnic either. I want to know because I'm curious. So answer my question."
"Fine. I was thinking about her again."
"Her who?" John looked confused. Fin mumbled something. "What was that?"
"I said Olivia." Fin stared into his beer. John looked at him closely.
"You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"So what if I am. It's not like I can do anything about it. You do know about those rules for inter-departmental dating, don't you?"
"Yeah, but if you wanted to ask her out, my lips would be sealed."
"What makes you so sure she would want to go out with me?"
"Don't know what anyone would see in you but you could ask her anyway."
"Yeah maybe." Fin answered cryptically as he tucked into his food. John did the same. When they were finished, the waitress brought their check. John paid the bill and Fin covered the tip. They left and Fin took John home.
"So are you going to ask her out?" John asked before he got out of the car.
"Yeah maybe and then again maybe I'll just leave your bony ass to walk home from the precinct if you don't drop it." Fin answered. John laughed and got out of the car and headed up to his apartment. Fin waited long enough to see that John made it in and then headed home himself.
Once Fin was in his apartment, he stripped and headed for the shower. Then he grabbed a clean pair of boxers and headed to bed. His body said sleep however his mind was still running full throttle. So he lay in bed and stared at the ceiling and thought about Olivia. He could either continue as he was or he could take the next step and see if she was interested in something more. Slowly Fin drifted off to sleep.
The next morning found Fin at work extra early. He was in even before the Captain. For some unknown reason Fin had woken up at 4 and had been unable to go back to sleep. So he was at the precinct and it was barely 6. Fin started sifting through the paperwork on his desk. He filled out various forms and read through other case files until the Captain came in at 7.
"You're in early." The Captain commented as he went into his office.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came in to get a head start on my mountain of paperwork." Fin replied.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Nah. I'm cool."
"Alright." With that the Captain sat at his own desk and started reading a case file. One by one the rest of the detectives filed in to begin the day. John cornered Fin at the coffee pot and started questioning him again.
"Are you going to ask her out or what?" John asked with an enthusiasm that was rarely seen.
"I thought I told you to drop it. Your bony ass is walking home from now on." Fin evaded the question.
"Come on Fin. You know I have to live vicariously through you. I mean look at my track record, four ex-wives. It's safer to live through someone else. So answer me, are you going to ask her out?" John pressed.
"Maybe and if I do you'll be the last to know." Fin smirked and sat down at his desk. John just sighed and shook his head. He briefly considered the thought of taking matters into his own hands and playing match maker but he figured Fin and Olivia would kill him.
~Maybe Cragen would consent to play Cupid. ~ John thought as he smiled to himself. He decided to ask him later, hypothetically, just in case Cragen didn't approve. John began whistling as he started on his own stack of files.
Detective Odafin Tutuola sat at his desk, staring blankly at the file in front of him. He tried to focus on work but his mind just wouldn't cooperate. He was thinking about his fellow detective, Olivia Benson, again. Something he knew he shouldn't be doing. They couldn't possibly have a relationship. Fin shook his head to clear it and sighed. Once again, Fin tried to concentrate on the document in front of him. Hopefully he would be able to get some work done today before his partner noticed and commented.
"Hey Fin. Yo! Earth to Fin! Hey! Space case!" John called to his partner.
~No such luck. ~ Fin thought. "Space case? Man, where the hell did you get that one? What do you want?" he answered.
"Where was your mind? I've been calling you for the last five minutes. What gives?" John asked.
"Off in my own little world. Sorry man," Fin answered.
"I gathered that. Care to share what kept you so occupied?" John questioned.
"No. My thoughts are none of your damn business." Fin fired back at John. He was getting sick of playing 20 questions.
"As you wish. I'm just curious." John let the subject drop and Fin looked at him with suspicion. John never let things go so easily. When John didn't ask anything else and for all appearances was working, Fin himself went back to reading his file. The rest of the day passed slowly for all the detectives, which in their little corner of the universe, that was a good thing. There was nothing like a day of paperwork to balance out 10 days of rape and rape/homicide cases.
When their shift was over, Elliot was the first one out the door. Olivia followed not long after, and Cragen left a half an hour after her. Fin finally got his focus on work and didn't notice everyone leaving until John kicked him under the desk.
"What the hell was that for?" Fin asked as he glared at John over a folder.
"I figured I'd try the physical approach this time. Now that I have your attention, do you want to go get a drink, maybe some dinner?" John questioned.
"Yeah sure. I suppose you want a ride home too?" Fin asked.
"Well since you offered. Come on, I'm hungry." John stood up and grabbed his coat and hat. Fin followed suit. The walked out to Fin's car and drove to a near by bar and grill. They staked out a table and a waitress came to take their orders for the bar. They were silent save for ordering their food. Once they placed their orders, John asked the question that had been bothering him all day.
"So are you going to tell me what you were thinking about this morning?" John asked.
"Why do you want to know about my thoughts? My mind isn't a good place to be." Fin answered him with a question.
"Yeah well, my minds no picnic either. I want to know because I'm curious. So answer my question."
"Fine. I was thinking about her again."
"Her who?" John looked confused. Fin mumbled something. "What was that?"
"I said Olivia." Fin stared into his beer. John looked at him closely.
"You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"So what if I am. It's not like I can do anything about it. You do know about those rules for inter-departmental dating, don't you?"
"Yeah, but if you wanted to ask her out, my lips would be sealed."
"What makes you so sure she would want to go out with me?"
"Don't know what anyone would see in you but you could ask her anyway."
"Yeah maybe." Fin answered cryptically as he tucked into his food. John did the same. When they were finished, the waitress brought their check. John paid the bill and Fin covered the tip. They left and Fin took John home.
"So are you going to ask her out?" John asked before he got out of the car.
"Yeah maybe and then again maybe I'll just leave your bony ass to walk home from the precinct if you don't drop it." Fin answered. John laughed and got out of the car and headed up to his apartment. Fin waited long enough to see that John made it in and then headed home himself.
Once Fin was in his apartment, he stripped and headed for the shower. Then he grabbed a clean pair of boxers and headed to bed. His body said sleep however his mind was still running full throttle. So he lay in bed and stared at the ceiling and thought about Olivia. He could either continue as he was or he could take the next step and see if she was interested in something more. Slowly Fin drifted off to sleep.
The next morning found Fin at work extra early. He was in even before the Captain. For some unknown reason Fin had woken up at 4 and had been unable to go back to sleep. So he was at the precinct and it was barely 6. Fin started sifting through the paperwork on his desk. He filled out various forms and read through other case files until the Captain came in at 7.
"You're in early." The Captain commented as he went into his office.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came in to get a head start on my mountain of paperwork." Fin replied.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Nah. I'm cool."
"Alright." With that the Captain sat at his own desk and started reading a case file. One by one the rest of the detectives filed in to begin the day. John cornered Fin at the coffee pot and started questioning him again.
"Are you going to ask her out or what?" John asked with an enthusiasm that was rarely seen.
"I thought I told you to drop it. Your bony ass is walking home from now on." Fin evaded the question.
"Come on Fin. You know I have to live vicariously through you. I mean look at my track record, four ex-wives. It's safer to live through someone else. So answer me, are you going to ask her out?" John pressed.
"Maybe and if I do you'll be the last to know." Fin smirked and sat down at his desk. John just sighed and shook his head. He briefly considered the thought of taking matters into his own hands and playing match maker but he figured Fin and Olivia would kill him.
~Maybe Cragen would consent to play Cupid. ~ John thought as he smiled to himself. He decided to ask him later, hypothetically, just in case Cragen didn't approve. John began whistling as he started on his own stack of files.