A/N: This is only a brief little interlude to feed your appetites until the next really full chapter. I apologize for the wait, I've been lazy. And a bit busy, but mostly lazy. Fear not, the next chapter I will be including a PT session for Rafael, and subsequent exercises with he and Olivia, as has been requested. Also the "date" with Brandi will be in there. There will eventually be a wedding too.
Taking care of the aftermath of the shooting and bringing some normalcy back into their lives Olivia and Rafael realize that they haven't shared their good news with nearly anyone. Upon figuring this fact out they decide that the engagement should be open knowledge and should, in fact, be happily told to any and everyone, most especially those they loved.
The next day Olivia calls Fin into her office to tell him about her proposal and subsequent engagement to Rafael. She would tell Amanda and Sonny next but Fin was among her closest friends and deserved to be told privately.
"Fin, a moment?" Olivia summons.
Raising an eyebrow and looking at the spot the lieutenant just vacated Fin pushes himself from his chair. He saunters easily into the office and hangs slightly inside the doorway. He finds Olivia leaning against the front of the desk, instead of her usual position sitting behind it.
Liv offers a grin and nods her head to the side, "come in, and close the door please." Her tone is even and gives away nothing.
Doing as he is told Fin steps up behind one of the chairs in the room, allowing his weight to shift into it, "what's up Liv?"
The grin that adorns her lips stretches wider and her teeth peek through, "I have some really good news for once."
Obviously intrigued Fin leans into the chair more, allowing him to be minutely closer to the conversation, "give it to me, we don't get enough of that around here."
A short laugh leaves Olivia's mouth before morphing back into a smile she couldn't prevent if she wanted to, "Raf and I are getting married!"
Her excitement is clear even though her voice is kept quiet so as to not draw attention to her office.
Shocked Fin takes a small step backwards, "for real? Well c'mon show me the ring baby girl."
Liv knew she could count on Fin to share her happiness, but she shakes her head, "it's on his finger actually." She laughs at the confusion that crosses her friends features, "I asked him."
"No shit? Damn," he moves around the chair and steps closer to Olivia pulling her into a hug. Turning his head into her he says, "congrats Liv, it's good to see you happy considering all the crap that you've gone through."
Taking a deep breath in through her nose Liv closes her eyes to savor the moment between them, "thanks Fin, I really am happy."
He gives her a final pat on the back before pulling away. Putting space between them once more Fin smiles at her, simply taking her in. Her expression is peaceful, serene. He thinks if anyone deserves happiness it's her, she's dealt with so much her whole life and he has seen her at her worst. His thoughts settle on one thing, he is finally going to see her at her best.
"So how did it happen?" He asks.
She recounts the story to him and he holds in his comments about who really wears the pants in the relationship, because it isn't about that. He's seen them together and knows they both hold equal footing with each other. He's also beyond that sort of thinking, if working SVU has taught him anything it's the strength of women, the fearlessness.
With one last hug Fin leaves her office, Olivia trailing behind him.
Pointing two fingers, one at each detective, Olivia calls the two in next, "you're up Rollins and Carisi."
With a shrug of his shoulders Sonny makes his way to Liv's office. Amanda shoots Fin a look but his focus is elsewhere.
Waiting for Amanda to enter Sonny closes the door, "what do you need lieu?"
Deciding to cut to the chase Olivia tells them, "I'm engaged!" Her arms spread wide, eyes moving back and forth from Amanda to Sonny.
"Oh my gosh that's amazing," Amanda walks into Liv for a strong hug. A heeled boot clicks as she takes a step away, but not far enough that she can't catalogue each expression on Olivia's face for the remainder of the news, "tell me everything!"
Amanda's light pink lips can't contain the smile she is wearing, and she does nothing to stop it. Sonny, behind her, is also smiling, eyes wrinkled at the corners, laugh lines proudly showing. In that moment Olivia realizes there are few smiles in the world that compare to that of Sonny Carisi. When he smiles, he smiles with everything in him, and it is infectious.
"No way Olivia, that's amazing! Congratulations." Carisi nods enthusiastically in her direction. "How'd Barba pop the question?"
Liv doesn't fault them for the assumption that it was Rafael that did the asking, she merely sets them straight, "he didn't."
There is no elaboration from Olivia for the simple satisfaction of seeing the confusion flit across each of their faces.
After she gets what she wants from her pause Liv continues, "I did the question popping, so to speak." Bending one knee and fanning out her fingers Olivia displays herself as though showing off.
"What? Are you serious?" It's times like these that Amanda's southern accent is that much more apparent.
Bowing her head, some hair falling in her face, Olivia gives a short, but bright, chuckle while nodding in the affirmative. She knows having to explain this part to people will become tiresome, but not here, not with these people.
"Yup. The ring was actually what I had you get for me out of my office that night," she keeps the allusion brief, knowing they will follow along without further detail. "I asked Noah and Lucia for their blessings and then proposed the next day."
"And you're just tell me now! Why did you make me wait?" She isn't taking it personally that she wasn't given the news sooner, the comments Amanda is making are simply to get a light-hearted laugh out of Olivia.
And indeed it does, "it sort of just didn't occur to us that we didn't say anything to people, there has been so much going on."
"What about Barba? Has he told anyone?" Carisi asks, still calling him by his last name, old habits die hard.
Shrugging Olivia simply tells them, "just one co-worker he is close with, who was there that day. Raf wanted to give her some good news. Other than that just Lucy really, but Noah was the one who told her."
Amanda crosses her arms, settling herself in for more details, "so…" she rolls her hands in encouragement, "how'd it happen?"
I'm a bashful kind of manner Olivia looked at them through her lashes and a blush tinting her cheeks, "I don't know, I guess I didn't see the point in waiting any longer. I had been trying to plan something, something I thought he needed, what he is deserving of but nothing was ever going to be good enough for that.
"And I didn't want to wait anymore so I asked him shortly after he woke up. Part of me also knew that he might go through the same hesitant process I found myself in and didn't want to wait for him to finally figure out it's just him I need."
Olivia's eyes widen slightly, and mumbling to herself, she says, "I need to say that to him." She knows he will be very smug hearing it. She also knows that he is very much aware of this but hearing it said aloud feels very nice, validating.
Leaning towards Olivia Sonny asks, "what was that?"
"No nothing, just thinking." Liv shakes herself out and stands. "Anyway, that's all. Back to work." Shooing them away with her words and hands.
She snaps effortlessly in her Lieutenant mode, to her detectives anyway, she didn't intend to get to work quite yet. Unlocking her phone Liv navigates effortlessly to her most frequently used contact. With an easy touch of her finger she waits for Rafael to answer his phone.
"Hi baby what's up," it was very rare that he ever, if at all, called Olivia baby in English.
With a sweet sigh falling from her lips Liv sits up a little straighter, "hola nene, que pasa?" Laughing at herself Olivia doesn't allow him to cut in. "I just told the squad our news." (hi baby what's up?)
Like a love sick puppy Rafael rests his chin in the palm of his hand and smiles to himself, our news, they had news, together, as a singular unit. And it would be like forever now. Shaking himself from his revere Rafael tunes back into the conversation, "how did it go?"
"Fine," flapping a hand he can't see Olivia continues, "but that's not why I'm calling."
She pauses just enough for Rafael to slip in, "oh no? So why are you calling then?"
"I am calling because I wanted to tell you something I know you know. I know is implicit between us. But something I never want to take for granted, something I never want you to go without hearing.
"While I was telling Amanda and Carisi about our getting engaged, how it happened, I told them it was because I was waiting for something perfect, something I thought you needed, or that I know you deserve. And I knew if it was going to be you to be the one of us who proposed you would do the same thing." Olivia pauses to let that sink in. The fact that they are an inevitability, a guarantee, there is no avoiding their love and where it will take them.
"I told them that I didn't want to wait for you to figure out that you're all I need. Just you. I need you Rafael, I love you, so much. Anything and everything else is simply an added bonus."
Rafael remains quiet the entire time she speaks, gives her the time she needs to get this out. She can hear his even breathing after she finishes.
"What are you thinking about right now?"
"Right now I'm thinking that I have never loved anyone the way I love you, that I didn't know this kind of feeling existed until I met you, and Noah. I'm thinking that I don't like telling you how right you are because I know how smug you will be when we get home tonight. I'm thinking that I love how right you are and how well you know me. Because if I'm being completely honest with you Liv, I was trying for something perfect to ask you to marry me and the I've had a ring for you for two months now. That's what I'm thinking about right now."
His tone has gone husky and it goes straight through her. His words, however, stick to her heart and she cherishes them.
"Are you planning on giving me that ring?" Olivia wonders, a whisper is all she can manage at the moment, the weight of his words effecting her so greatly.
Rafael laughs and it's the best thing she has heard in a long time.
"I didn't want to steal your thunder nena."
She shakes her head making her request, "no say it English, I like the way it sounds. After this you can stick to Spanish."
"Okay, I love you baby," Raf growls out.
"I want that ring on my finger tonight." Liv demands.
"Say it I'm Spanish and I'll do whatever you want," comes Rafa's response.
A dark chuckle tickles his ears, she knows exactly what he means,"nene I want you to put that ring on my finger when we get home tonight. I'll make sure not to keep you waiting."
"Dammit Olivia you couldn't wait until we were home to tell me all this," her laugh is the best thing he has heard in a while too, "I hope you don't expect to get too much sleep tonight."
"Oh? And why would that be?" She feigns innocence.
His voice drops a full octave, she swears it, "because I am going to show you just how much I love you."
"Mmm," she moans, " that sounds absolutely delectable"
"You're teasing me on purpose now. Be fair baby." He goads.
"Now who's teasing nene?" Olivia isn't going to back down from him.
Rafael groans out her name in response. Suddenly, from somewhere in the background Olivia hears a distant voice, "uh oh, should I come back?" And then there is resounding laughter.
Next is Rafael's voice right there in her ear, "Brandi I swear to God if I hear you speak one word of this I won't let you go on any dates with Olivia."
"Rafael!" Olivia's voice hits his ears sounding frazzled.
"Was I not supposed to tell her it was a date?" His voice very clearly directed into the phone. Then, to Brandi, "did you know you're dating my fiancée?"
He has both women laughing at this point, and then there is a distinct pinging noise and a muffled "ow!" from Rafael. "This is my pen now I hope you know. I don't care if it's your favorite, that's what you get for hitting me in the face with it."
This phone call has gone horribly off the rails, "I have to go back to work you big dork."
Turning his attention back to Liv Rafael says to her, "me too. I love you."
An aw can be heard from the background and, laughing sweetly Olivia says it back, "I love you too."
A/N: Until next time my loves.
x