THE NEXT MORNING:
Olivia woke up the next morning a bit confused as to where she was. Then she remembered, she'd fallen asleep on Elliot's couch whilst watching "Return to Me." She smiled as she remembered him tucking her in when he thought that she was still asleep. Then the 'I love you'. She broke out into a full-faced grin.
She yawned and glanced over at a clock, it was after 7 in the morning. It didn't seem as if Elliot had woken up yet. She ran a hand through her short hair and sat up on the sofa. After rubbing her eyes to wake herself up further she stretched out her arms, then cracked her neck. She then folded the cover that had been lying over her and put it back in its spot, fond her shoes and slipped them on, then started to search for her keys. She found them on the kitchen counter and grabbed them.
While she was walking out the front door the door to Elliot's bedroom swung open. She went back into the apartment. "Did I wake you up?" She asked a very unruly Elliot.
"Me? Nah. I heard the door open, you leaving so soon?"
She nodded, "I've got things to do today."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"Grocery shop, get my oil changed, and I'm meeting up with Alex tonight for dinner."
"You need company? I've got some grocery shopping to do myself."
"Aren't the kids coming over?"
"Not 'till around 4:00."
"Ok then. I've just got to go home and get ready. I'll swing by when I'm done. Are you sure? I mean, not to many guys actually grocery shop, if you want to I'll be fine going by myself, haven't had a problem yet."
He shrugged, "Well, I don't really trust Kathleen to shop for us, I'd be eating nothing but Mayfield's Ice-cream and Doritos. I've really got no other choice, and it normally bores the hell out of me, It'd be nice to have some company."
"Alright then. I'll see you in about an hour or so."
"Ok, you wanna go out for breakfast first?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice. Bye, El."
He nodded, "bye."
Olivia was back at his apartment a bit after 8 o'clock, he was, at that moment, searching through his cabinets and fridge for ideas on what he'd need to get, so he called out to her that the door was open, come on in. So, she did.
"You not ready yet?" She inquired when she saw him looking through his kitchen cabinets.
"No, I'm ready. Just making sure I know what all to get." He closed the cabinet he was looking in, and turned around. "Let's get going then." He said grabbing his keys.
10 minutes later they had arrived at the grocery store and were starting to shop.
"First stop, produce." Elliot said grabbing a cart. Olivia did the same and followed him to the produce section. After a few minutes of shopping she was already an isle ahead of him.
"So," Elliot said, pulling his cart up next to hers, "come here often?"
She laughed and grabbed some sugar off of a shelf. "Are you coming on to me, Elliot Stabler?" She asked as she dropped the sugar into her own cart.
"Maybe."
Olivia sent a questioning glance his way, her right eyebrow raised slightly. "Innuendo's will get you no where, mister."
"Fair enough. If innuendo's get me nowhere, what will?"
"What will, what?"
"Get me somewhere."
"Depends on where you want to get."
He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manor.
"Elliot Stabler!"
"What?" He asked, feigning innocence.
"You know full well, what."
He just smiled.
"You know, you have a dirty mind."
"I didn't say anything! You took an action and ran with it, I think it's you who needs to get your head out of the gutter, but then again, that's just my opinion."
"I know you too much to buy into that whole innocent act, Elliot. I'm not buyin'."
He smiled again, "You never answered my question."
"What question?"
"What will, get me somewhere, that is."
Olivia smirked, "As I said, it depends on where you're lookin' to get. And don't you even do that eyebrow thing again. I gotta know the question if you want an answer."
"Alright, this is metaphorically speaking, of course."
"Oh, of course."
"So, metaphorically speaking, what does it take for you to go out on a date with a guy?"
"And metaphorically, this date would include?"
"Eh, lets say dinner and a movie."
"Well, for one thing, he'd have to ask."
"Right, of course."
"I'd have to know him enough to know that he would treat me with respect, maybe even be a gentlemen and pay for dinner and my movie ticket."
Elliot smirked.
"What?"
"Nothing, finish, please."
"Alright. Firstly, he'd have to be able to make me laugh. I'd have to be comfortable around him, and he'd have to be comfortable with my job. I hate it when guys make a big deal about me being a cop." She grabbed a bag of cheddar and sour cream chips off of a shelf, "He'd have to like the same things as I do, like movies and music wise. And, depending on how far the relationship progressed, he'd have to be ok with sleeping on the left side of the bed. The right side is my side. But, that's strictly a "been dating a while" thing. So, does that answer your question."
He put a bag of Doritos into his cart. "Yeah, it does."
"Ok, so my turn. What about you? Same question."
"What qualities does a girl have to have for me to ask her out? Well, I haven't asked a girl out in a while."
"Alright, what qualities in a girl do you find attractive."
"Laughter. And, I don't mean giggles, I hate giggles. My daughters giggle, women aren't supposed to giggle. She's got to be ok with actually laughing, and not care if she's loud or somebody's watching. She's got to be comfortable in her own skin, not put on all the makeup she owns at once, or have to wear tight clothes, she's got to be comfortable around me in something as simple as a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. I hate it when women are self-conscious. She's gotta be tough, not break down in tears every time something goes wrong. And, she's got to be able to deal with me being a cop, not worry about me every time I go to work, or call all the time just to see if I'm alright. And, then there's the whole "having kids" issue. She's got to be ok with the fact that I have children, and be able to get along with them. Because, they're the most important things in my life."
"Of course. I'd feel the same way, if I had kids. Guess it's got a lot to do with scruples."
"Right, and she's got to be ok with my receding hairline."
Olivia dropped her head and laughed.
"See, that's what I'm talking about. You don't giggle, you actually laugh." He smiled, "I'm glad I can make you laugh."
Olivia blushed and grabbed a jug of orange juice, she put it into her cart and surveyed all that she had grabbed. She sighed, "Oh, shit."
"What?"
"I forgot to get lettuce. Watch my stuff? I'll be right back."
He nodded, "Alright. I'll be right here."
She took off back towards the produce section, after grabbing a head of lettuce she started on her way back. While passing the can goods isle she saw a familiar face, albeit one she'd rather not see at the present moment. She passed by praying that the woman didn't notice her. But, it was too late, the woman had seen her.
"Well, if it isn't the husband stealer."
She clenched her jaw and turned around to face Kathy. "Well, if it isn't the cheating hussy. I wish I could say that it was nice to see you, but, then I'd be lying." She turned to the man that Kathy was with, "And you must be Mr. Hussy. Nice to meet you. I'm Olivia Benson, Elliot and I work togheter. You do know Elliot, right? The man Kathy was married to, at the same time she was doing you. You two must have meet, seeing as he walked in on you together. Or, was it another Mr. Hussy?"
Kathy glared at her coldly. "It's your fault Elliot was never home."
"No, it's not. You see, I don't have any power over the rapist of New York, and it's the Captain who sends us on cases. Not that it's his fault, either. You know, you could have been a good wife, and supported Elliot, instead of screwing around on him, with," she gave the man a once-over, "Whatever you call him."
"Steven." Kathy replied, sending a nasty look Olivia's way.
"Right. Mr. Steven Hussy. Got it. Now, I really hate to cut this little…meeting short. But, I've got better things to do than waste my time explaining to you that Elliot and I have never slept together, so I couldn't have stolen your husband. You did a perfect job pushing him away, all on your own." She turned to leave, and spotted Elliot looking at them. She sent a sympathetic look his way, and he just shrugged.
She walked back up to where he was standing with their buggies.
"I was wondering what was taking you so long, you know, you didn't have to do that."
"I'll be damned if I idly sit by while she makes you and I out to be the bad guys, actually, I feel a lot better now that I've gotten that off of my chest." She sighed, "Steven's not very good looking. What was she thinking?"
Elliot laughed. "So, I'm better looking than him?"
She shrugged, "I guess so."
"Even with the receding hairline?"
She laughed, "Even with the receding hairline."
a/n: alright, I probably won't get out the next chapter for a while, probably not until after Friday. My b-day's Tuesday, and since I'll be 15 I'm taking my permit test. And, since I'm going Friday I'll be studying for it, profusely. So, God-willing, Friday I'll have my permit, then I'm open for writing. Hope you liked this chapter. I promise the next one's going to have more fluffiness. 'Cause we all know, the more fluffy, the better. At least, that's what I say.