A/N - Apologies for not posting in quite a while. Ironically enough, I caught the flu. I've been deceased for about two weeks but now I am better! Yay! To make up for the lack of content please accept this extra long chapter 3
Also thank you to those who have reviewed so far!
The howling wings of the New York Blizzard brought the bustling city to a standstill. For once on Christmas even in the busiest city in the US - not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The snow flurries danced and the winds blew through the trees of central park. New York was covered in a thick sheet of white snow almost two feet off the ground, enough to make any criminal think twice before leaving their home. The unbreakable clouds, thick and white hung in the sky looking down on the city below. Not a single car took to the streets, scattering of civilians trying to make their way home from work, only to be caught in the bitter winds of the blizzard. Throughout the night - the cold became known, ice shards formed on pipes, guttering and lamp posts, sparkling as the light bounced from the purity of the ice.
In the Benson home, little Noah Benson slept soundly in bed, cuddling his stuffed elephant, Ed, and dreaming about all the toys he was due to open on Christmas morn. He was tucked away from the blizzard that swarmed just outside his bedroom window - the screams of the wind lost in a funnel of a tender audiobook that composed the eight-year-old's dreams. Unaware of the minus temperatures or the fact when he wakes up in the morning, he'll be greeted with the greatest Christmas present of them all. A beautiful snowy Christmas morning.
Meanwhile, lost in a realm of bliss and love - the two adults of the house, wrapped in a warm thick duvet spent their first night in carnal bliss. Delicate and loving, the night was spent with hands exploring, quiet little whimpers of pleasure echoing in a very empty, quiet room. Olivia and Alex had dreamt of this moment for many years and didn't realise just how beautiful reality would be as they brought each other to the mountainous peak over and over again. Watching Olivia's body react to her touch might be Alex's new favourite addiction, in addition to kissing her. A little nervous at first, trembling hands guiding their way over olive skin - but then she heard a deep throat moan and she realised she was very much on the right track. Again and again, over and over again, Olivia's eyes rolled back in her head as her body would tense and then release. She felt safe, desirable, and loved - though she dare not speak those three words so soon, she was sure she loved Alex. Her body had never reacted in such a way to any other touch, this was a new experience and one she could very much get used to.
Christmas morning, void of light, only a flicking electric fireplace to illuminate the room. With the threat of power going out at any time. The loud sound of Olivia's alarm tore the detective and attorney from their wondrous Dreamland. Olivia turned over to her bedside table to turn off the alarm before rolling back over to the bare flesh of Alexandra Cabot laying on her front and exposing her very kissable spine. Olivia's lips lightly guided over the blonde's skin, slightly parted, leaving a pattern of heated open-mouth kisses. Goosebumps formed in their wake as Alex's back arched and a gentle moan escaped her lips. What a way to wake up. Olivia planted a soft peck at the start of Alex's spine making the ADA squirm slightly as she started to kiss her way down her spine. The counsellor rolled over to face her girlfriend, Olivia's lips now hovering over the space in between Alex's breasts. The detective smirked as she felt Alex's slender fingers laced in her long, dark brown, locks. The light tug was something Olivia could very much get used to - a silent encouragement from such a burning desire. Olivia kissed her way back up to Alex's chin, and eventually their lips locked in a passionate good morning kiss. Alex cannot help but smile into the kiss as she pulled Olivia closer, their bodies pressed against each other. She could feel the warmth of Olivia's skin, the entanglement of legs, and her body - once more, reacted to the detective.
Olivia's lips trailed to Alex's cheek where she pressed a small peck before she ran her tongue down to Alex's neck where she seemed to make her home. Alex bit her bottom lip - the sensation drove her insane once more. There was something about having this detective on top of her that made her lose all forms of reality and dissolve into a realm of lustful need. The sinking of teeth would be her undoing, as a loud moan escaped, loud enough for Olivia to stop momentarily.
"S-sorry…" Her voice shook.
Olivia simply smiled and returned to her assault on Alex's neck, sucking the flesh into her mouth with full intentions of leaving a mark.
"Last night… Last night… was incredible l." She's desperate to keep a thought process of some kind.
"Mmphm" Was the only response Olivia gave as she tasted the salty tang of her skin.
"I've never… felt so… euphoric before."
"Mmhmm…"
Alex was so engrossed in keeping her thoughts straight, she didn't even notice Olivia's hand vanish under the duvet.
"It was so warm… so perfect, the flickering fire… you…and- Oh! Oh-" Alex moaned and immediately bit her lip to stop herself from moaning any louder.
Olivia lifted her head from Alex's neck, and a smirk painted her lips as she watched the blonde's body shudder.
"Hmm? Sorry? What was that?" Olivia asked as she kissed the corner of Alex's mouth. "I didn't quite-"
"Oh my god…" Alex's back arched upward to Olivia.
"-Hear you…"
" Fuck!" Alex's deep throaty groan echoed in the bedroom.
"That's a good girl…" Olivia grinned as she continued.
"How - are you…" Her mind was losing the battle with her body.
"How am I, what?" That smugness laced her voice.
"You've been doing this for less than twelve hours and you're… so…" Her back arched and twisted towards the detective as she hit that one spot again so perfectly.
The brunette smirked and simply kissed that space between the blonde's breasts again.
"I listened to your body, learned how to touch you and now…"
" Oh god… " Alex can feel a familiar pressure building.
"I know-" Olivia lowered her lips to Alex, brushing them over those of the attorney. "Exactly…"
Alex moaned again, her fingers dug into Olivia's shoulder.
"How…"
Alex's eyes pinged open wide. This feeling, the pressure, the tingle. She didn't want Olivia to stop touching her. The gentle teasing, the flawless hand skills - it was like the richest chocolate cake with the most delicious ice cream. It was heavenly, but Alex knew, the more Olivia pressed that same spot over and over again. The sensation - a familiar pressure but a new intensity. Oh god. She knew what was going to happen, regardless of how Olivia tipped her over the edge into oblivion - the ending had already been written. She tried to hold back, and shift her hips, but Olivia just found the spot again and again and again…
"Olivia…" Alex moaned trying to slow down the detective.
"Mmm, yes - that's it, say my name." She grinned as her movements sped up.
" Oh - fuck, Liv!" Her desperate moans became groans of need. Her eyes squeeze shut as her hips twist under the covers. "I'm going to…" Was all she spoke.
Alex's body tensed completely before shuddering with every wave that hit her over and over again. An explosion of lights and fireworks went off in the attorney's ear. Every inch of her body was on fire. Her free hand covered her mouth to muffle any cry, whimper, or moan that would escape her lips during her climax. Olivia watched with dilated pupils - Alex looked so beautiful… wait…
As she came down from her high, a blush crept over Alex. A blush so deep it spread from her cheeks to the top of her chest as she slowly sunk trying to hide her face. Olivia's smirk of absolute smugness returned. Never in her entire life has she ever seen someone react to her touch in such a way.
"Did you just…?" Olivia lifted the sheets.
"No!" Alex exclaimed.
"You did!"
"NO!" Her blush deepens.
"All over the sheets! Cabot!" Olivia chuckled. "I gotta say; that's a huge compliment!"
Alex covered her face with a pillow. Olivia laughed softly. "What are you doing?"
"Hiding my shame."
"Shame? Why?" Olivia tilted her head and frowned.
"It's only ever happened twice." Her muffled voice spoke.
"Alex - it's perfectly natural. Just means you were really enjoying yourself." Olivia pulled away the pillow. "And there's no shame in that. Your body is beautiful, Alex. Even better when you do that."
Alex softly stroked Olivia's cheek as she spoke. Her heart raced like a thousand horses in the wild. Over a few weeks - she was falling madly in love with this woman and now entwined in each other's arms. Lips against lips, skin against skin. Listening to words of passion. This woman solidified her feelings towards the detective. She was in love. Alex softly tucked a loose strand of Olivia's hair behind her ear. She leaned up and captured the brunette's lips with her own in a loving kiss. This woman was only going to be the end of her. Never has she ever felt such a connection in her life. She's known Olivia for decades, but never has a connection held such promise for the future and made Alex so excited to live every single day. This woman was the gentle soul she had waited for - the person to sweep her off her feet. Every kiss to her skin sent shocks of electricity through her body, every stroke of her hand gave her such solace, and falling asleep in her arms gave her nothing but the best dreams.
Olivia reached over to her phone on the bedside table. She picked up the device and looked at the time. 5 am. Noah would be getting up soon and Olivia still had some things to do for the day. She kissed Alex one last time and nuzzled her nose. Alex gazed into the beautiful brown orbs of her lover.
"I gotta get up and start putting stuff out for Noah." She sighed. "But if I had a choice, I'd be here all day." She gently kisses Alex with a warm smile. "And you need a shower."
Alex blushed again. "T-that I do, yes."
"I can give you some clothes to wear today." Olivia smiled. "Go start the shower while I strip the bed."
"Are… you joining me?" She pushed herself off the bed, picking up her glasses from the bedside table.
"I was planning…" Olivia looked up at Alex's naked form, her beautiful porcelain skin reflected the flicking light from the fireplace. Tall, slender, and even though she had only woken up mere twenty minutes prior - she was flawlessly beautiful. "Wow…" Olivia breathed as Alex's back was turned while the ADA looked at her phone.
After a warm soapy shower followed by a quick change of the sheets, Alex stood in Olivia's living room, dressed in an old NYPD t-shirt and a pair of comfy house pants, assembling various presents for Noah, while Olivia prepared the turkey in the kitchen ready for Christmas dinner, and not to worry, there was a perfectly ripe eggplant ready to be breaded and baked for Alex. The attorney was enjoying setting up Christmas for Noah. Olivia's apartment was already very much decorated in a variety of greens, reds, and gold, but now there was an extra special touch. Olivia enjoyed creating a sense of wonder for Noah. Children aren't young forever, and Olivia wanted him to remain innocent for as long as possible. Growing up, Olivia didn't have such enjoyable holidays. Often, her mother would drink the day away and Olivia would spend it alone watching a Christmas movie and pretending she belonged to the family on the screen. Apart from the McCallisters from Home Alone - they sucked… and she was in her mid-twenties by that time. Olivia swore when she had her own family, she would keep the Christmas magic for as long as she could even if that meant waking up at five in the morning to decorate the apartment just so Noah believes there was a little bit of Christmas magic.
"Hey, I got an idea!" Alex pulled Olivia from her wandering thoughts as she approached the kitchenette while Olivia stuffed the turkey.
"Hmm? What's that?"
"How about I hide behind the tree and jump out at Noah?"
Olivia smiled and laughed softly as she looked at the playful glint in Alex's eyes. "I think that's a great idea. I'll finish up here and go see if he's awake."
Alex finished the last of the decorations, assorting presents for Noah, Olivia, and herself. She flicked through Disney+ looking for the perfect movie - one that fit all three of them. A little different but with a lot of heart and meaning. She thought about putting on the Star Wars Holiday Special, however, making others suffer wasn't in the spirit of Christmas. So, she finally settled on one particular movie that caused so much debate around this time of year. One of action, a strong meaningful storyline, with a beautiful romance. A story of unconventional love and the true meaning of Christmas. The Nightmare Before Christmas. Alex smiled as her fingers hit play on Olivia's smart TV remote and soon Patrick Stewart's voice echoed in the living room.
"'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story that you are about to be told, took place in the holiday worlds of old. Now, you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't, I'd say it's time you begun."
Alex took her place behind the tree as ' This is Halloween' started to play. Her heart thumped in her chest and overwhelming excitement washed over her like a tidal wave of pure happiness. She had never done something like this before. Christmases in the Cabot household were very traditional. Christmas eve consisted of gathering around a piano singing Christmas carols and trying to look like the picture-perfect family while getting obnoxiously drunk and wishing they were somewhere else. Christmas day was filled with fake smiles, pictures being snapped, and Alex helping her mother in the kitchen to escape the idle questions about when she was getting married. The evening would be spent with more drunk Cabots around a fire attempting to play a board game after an awkward Cabot family picture by the Christmas tree.
This was much better, Alex felt truly at home. These were the Christmases the ADA hoped she would enjoy when she found someone to spend them with. Granted she did take one suiter for a Cabot Family Christmas, but she promptly peaced out the moment they got back to the city. She could hear Noah walking through the hallway and over to the tree. She could see him through the branches as the little boy smiled at all the gifts Santa had left him.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed. He looked back at Olivia. "Can I open them?" He asked with wide happy eyes.
"Soon, I got a really special gift for you."
The excitement in this little boy knew no bounds, he was practically bouncing off the wall. The usual stoic Noah Porter-Benson was positively filled with glee.
"What is it?! What is it?!" He giggled.
Olivia pulled him back from the tree. "Stand right here and look at the tree. A Christmas Miracle happened last night, Noah, Santa heard you!" Olivia bent down to his level. "Close your eyes."
Noah did just that, he closed his eyes and as soon as he did Alex stepped out from behind the tree. She crouched down to him and smiled.
"Boo!" She said quietly, but enough for him to hear.
Noah's eyes pinged open - he knew exactly who that was. His bright smile lit the room and his joyous giggle echoed as he threw his arms around Alex's neck. Alex embraced the young boy silently and thanked the blizzard that brought her this moment. They broke apart from the hug, Noah still beamed brightly at Alex in total disbelief she was there for Christmas morning.
"How?!" His voice squealed with excitement.
"Thank Santa," Alex replied with a wink. "Wanna open some presents?"
They spent the next hour opening presents. Olivia watched as Noah's excitement only grew more and more. He sat on the floor in Alex's lap as the two ripped open their presents. Normally, Alex wasn't big on gifts - her family usually opted for the more traditional gift set. A sweater, socks, or gloves, but this year was a little different. She wanted to treat Olivia and Noah - they deserved it and she felt the motivation to get them presents they would truly love. Noah ripped into a Nerf gun, a chemistry set, and a stuffed Baby Yoda. Alex's eyes lit up as she looked at a special edition anniversary tin for Star Wars Episode Four: A New Hope. She looked at the Blu-ray and saw on the back it was the original from 1977. None of George Lucas' altercations from the early 2000s. Olivia carefully opened a collection of poetry by the Brontë sisters, another one by Sylvia Plath, and finally, a much smaller box was handed to her by Alex. The blonde smiled and her eyes stayed on the detective as she observed Olivia open the present to reveal a black square box. Not small enough to be a ring or a bracelet. Olivia carefully opened the box and smiled at the necklace inside. A white gold Scales of Justice charm hung around a white gold chain. Olivia gazed towards her girlfriend, a smile painted upon her lips - it was a beautiful present and her favourite. It was a gift that Olivia knew Alex had thought about carefully. Olivia was passionate about putting the bad guys away, as was Alex, it was a passion they shared and clashed on many times. To hold this in her hand, to know that Alex wanted the Scales of Justice to fall where her heart rested truly made her smile.
"Alex… thank you." Olivia's eyes sparkled.
Alex simply smiled back.
"Oh! I have something else! This is for the two of you!" Olivia said as she reached around the back of the tree and pulled out a very large box.
The present tag was addressed to both Alex and Noah. Both of them looked at each other, exchanging a confused look. With furrowed brows, they started to rip open the large box and soon all was revealed. With every rip, tear, and tap flying everywhere, it soon became apparent that this box wasn't like the others - it was indeed something for Alex and Noah to share between them. Their eyes lit up, their mouths hung open, and their eyes widen. The exact definition of two children at Christmas being given the greatest gift they could ever hope to receive. The two of them stared at the unwrapped box. Laughter erupted from Alex first as she clapped her hands together.
"This is the best gift ever!" Alex exclaimed.
"This is SO cool!" Noah added falling back against Alex's chest in disbelief.
"I think Santa did very well this year." Olivia winked at Alex.
"Is this for both of us!?" Alex asked.
"Of course, something for you and Noah to do together."
Alex's eyes looked back taking in the colours of the box, the blues, greens, and greys, the beautiful LEGO logo in the top corner and the picture of the ATAT from Star Wars on the cover.
"We're gonna build an ATAT!" Alex squealed as she wrapped her arms around Noah and squeezed him. The young boy laughed so loudly it echoed in the apartment. This was the best Christmas the little boy had ever experienced.
Noah climbed off of Alex and ran over to his mother, and jumped into her arms. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. He had never felt comfort and happiness quite like this before. Olivia kissed the top of his head. This was the Christmas she dreamed about all those years ago while her mother shouted abuse at her from across a dining table. All those years of anguish and loneliness lead to this moment. She held her son after he just ripped open his presents, with the woman she so dearly loved with the closing song to The Nightmare Before Christmas playing in the background. This is what Christmas was meant to be.
After clearing up wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons, Alex and Noah started to build their ATAT on the coffee table while Clone Wars played in the background. In the kitchen, Liv started to prepare the vegetables and other side dishes for Christmas dinner. As she stood by the frame of the kitchen, skinning carrots with a bowl under to catch the loose carrot skins, she smiled watching Noah and Alex build their Lego set. Noah sorted the bricks and Alex placed them very carefully. They sat and worked out which piece goes where and Olivia knew this project would take longer than Christmas Day. She worried they wouldn't get on, or that Noah would find some kind of jealousy. That was never an issue. From the day they met, Noah and Alex were like two peas in a pod. Alex even picked Noah up from school when Olivia was stuck at work. Noah stuck to Alex like glue and that was all she could hope for.
The oven timer chimed behind Olivia, she turned, opened the oven and pulled out a warm tray of Christmas cookies for dessert. She placed them on the kitchen counter close to where the stalls were. When Olivia looked back at Noah and Alex, she frowned. Noah was happily going through Lego bricks, however, Alex was nowhere to be seen. Olivia cast her gaze around the room, leaning through the partition.
"Noah?"
"Yeah?" Noah didn't look up from his sorting bricks.
"Where's Alex?"
Noah looked up from his brick sorting, he looked around and then his eyes settled on a crouched Alex hiding under the lip of the counter. She made the motion for him to 'shhh' and pointed upward to the cookies. He cleared his throat and looked back at the bricks.
"I dunno, maybe she went to the bathroom?" Noah suggested.
Olivia looked away for a moment seeing if she was down the hall, Noah gave a thumbs up for Alex to reach for the cookies. Suddenly - Olivia turned back and Noah shook his head and made a motion for Alex to stop. She did. Olivia frowned as the young boy suddenly looked back at his bricks.
"Are you sure you don't know where she is?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Not a clue, sorry, mom."
Olivia watched her son for a moment. Just as he looked away, she ducked behind the countertop. When Noah looked up, his mother was nowhere to be seen. He smiled at Alex and nodded for her to continue with her mission. Operation: Christmas Cookies! Olivia peeked over the counter seeing Alex's hand pop up, she smirked and launched herself upward in a surprise attack.
"A-HA!" She yelled.
Alex jumped back from under the counter and fell on Olivia's hardwood floor. Olivia leaned over the counter with the same smirk playing on her lips. She pulled the tray of cooled Christmas cookies back with one finger. She raised an eyebrow at Alex but wasn't mad. She quite enjoyed the playful side of the ADA. Before Alex was so stern, serious, and to the point. It was nice that she was having fun and letting her hair down - even if that meant acting like an actual child on Christmas morning.
"Counsellor…?"
"I was looking for my earring." Alex nodded.
"In my cookie tray?"
"I thought I dropped it over here."
"More like - you were trying to steal Christmas cookies!"
The integration had begun.
"No, I would never do that-"
"After I put in so much effort for Christmas dinner too." Olivia tutted and shook her head.
"I told you - I lost my earring and I was looking for it over here."
"Really?" Olivia walked through the kitchen arch and around the counter as Alex pulled herself up.
"So if I was to turn my back right now - you're not going to steal a Christmas cookie, are you?" She asked.
Alex didn't say anything in reply. She watched as Olivia turned around - this was her moment, her time of opportunity. She swiftly dashed for the tray of Christmas cookies. She picked up one Christmas Tree shape and one reindeer shape. She motioned for Noah to stand up and she gently threw him the Christmas Tree cookie. He sat back down and took a bite before hiding the cookie under the ATAT instructions. Alex took a bite, but this cookie had not fully cooled down. Her tongue suddenly burned, and the blonde panted and hid the cookie behind her back. as Olivia turned. Alex stilled with a mouth full of sugar cookie. Olivia placed her hands on her hips as she looked at the tray and then back at her girlfriend who was having a hard time with the moulting hot cookie.
"Alex." She raised her eyebrows again.
"Mmmph…" Alex nodded.
"Alex." She stepped closer.
"Alexandra Marie Cabot." Yikes - fully named. "Chew the cookie, Alex, before you gag."
Alex rolled her eyes and chewed the cookie in her mouth before she swallowed. She cleared her throat - her mouth still stung from the boiling hot cookie middle. She should have just waited but she could smell them as they baked, she couldn't help it - she loved cookies, she loved all things jammed with sugar. She had a sweet tooth after all. Alex shifted from one foot to the other as she threw her gaze to the ground.
"You couldn't wait until after dinner?" Olivia scolded like she was telling off a child.
"They smelled so good… I just had to." She looked up with pleading puppy dog eyes.
"Oh, god…" Olivia melted - Alex is just too cute for her to cope with. "Go back to Noah."
Olivia joined them while building the ATAT, however, even though Noah sorted all of the bricks while Olivia and Alex decided to work together in building the model, things didn't turn out quite as they wanted, so they took a break. Noah and Alex decided to watch Home Alone while Olivia finished off Christmas dinner. Noah and Alex sat on the couch, cuddled up in a warm blanket and watched as little Kevin McCallister set his traps to keep his home safe from house invaders. The fireplace flickered keeping them warm and the blankets were just a little extra comfort. In the kitchen, Olivia pulled the turkey out of the oven alone with Alex's breaded eggplant. She looked through the hatch of the kitchenette to see them so engrossed by the movie. Olivia smiled, she didn't want to disturb them, but she needed the table set.
"Hey - you two, set the table for dinner." She said with a warm smile.
Alex and Noah jumped up off the couch, Alex paused the movie and they wandered over to set the table. Beautifully decorated in greens and blues, the table looked wonderful. Olivia placed all the food on the table, the Turkey last. Everything looked delicious, from seasoned carrots to handmade Christmas stuffing. Alex was in awe of the variety of food that was available, most notably, her eggplant looked delicious. Once her plate was filled to the brim, she snapped a picture and sent it to Casey.
Olivia's phone also went off once she sat down with her plate. Olivia glanced at the notification from WhatsApp, the squad group chat of all places. Various pictures of food presents and decorations were shared by Amanda and Fin. Olivia smiled - it was time. Olivia closed WhatsApp, opened the camera app, and switched it to selfie mode. She held up the phone pointing it in the direction of Alex, Noah, and the food.
"Hey, guys!" Olivia looked over her shoulder at them. "Smile!"
Alex and Noah looked up from their plates with mouthfuls of food. Both of them smiled, stretching out chubby hamster cheeks. Olivia snapped the picture, uploaded it to the chat, then she put her phone on silent and placed it face down, and then started on her dinner.
After dinner, Noah and Alex helped Olivia clean up. The three sat on the couch watching It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart was being shown what life would be like if he hadn't been born, Noah yawned and laid his head on Olivia's lap. Olivia smiled and ran her fingers through the little boy's curly hair, He smiled constantly and closed his eyes. Olivia glanced over to Alex, who she assumed would be too engrossed in the classic Christmas film to notice Noah had fallen asleep, only to find that the ADA had also fallen into the land of nod. They had an excitable day after all - so it was more than understandable that they both fell asleep. Olivia reached for her phone on the coffee table, which had remained face down and silent since dinner. She turned it over to reveal a list of notifications from various people. Olivia unlocked her phone and skimmed through the list of congratulations and a one-off message from Fin saying "Thank the motherfucking heavens, it's Cabot.". Olivia had no idea what he was exclaiming about but she didn't care. She smiled and locked her phone again to enjoy the rest of the movie.
