Layover--Chapter 4
As Elliot exited the bathroom wearing a pair of pajama pants and one of his faded NYPD shirts, he quickly ducked his head from the object that came hurtling towards him. The traveler's pamphlet hit the wall and fell to the floor still in its folded position. Elliot turned his attention to Olivia who was sitting Indian style on the bed in her pajamas wearing a look of half annoyance and half amusement.
"What was that for?" he asked motioning towards the paper.
"You left me to play twenty questions with Cragen, Munch and Fin," she retorted. "I should really have thrown something else at you but that's all I could find other than the Bible, but that's just sacrilegious."
Elliot tried to hide his laughter but it was useless, he let the sound reverberate in the overly quiet room. "It's not my fault that I was in the shower when they called," he said innocently. "What was their reaction?"
"Oh the usual garbs: Cragen was worried that we were still in the airport, Munch wanted to know why he wasn't invited to the wedding and Fin, well Fin wanted to know if we'd have to switch partners now that you and I are an 'item'. I think Munch is finally beginning to wear on his last nerve."
"See, it wasn't anything you couldn't handle," Elliot laughed.
"You will pay for that little stunt Stabler. I'm not sure how just yet but when I figure it out you will be sorry," she warned with a smile. Elliot returned her smile as he draped his clothes across the back of the couch and turned to the bed.
"You are such a man," Olivia laughed. At his questioning gaze she continued, "Only a guy would throw his clothes around a perfectly nice hotel room when there is clearly a closet not ten feet away."
Elliot took her hint and removed his clothes from the couch and hung them dutifully in the closet next to her own. He took a moment to notice how natural it seemed to hang his clothes by hers, but shook the thought from his mind promptly. "Happy now?"
"Extremely," she smiled. "I'm really not that hard to please." The instant the words left her mouth she regretted them.
"Is that so?" Elliot asked raising his eyebrows in suggestion and then quickly ducking as another pamphlet came flying his way.
Olivia gave him a devilish grin before picking up the remote and turning the TV on, immediately flipping to the guide channel to see what was playing. Elliot smiled at her before climbing under the covers on the opposite side of the bed. He was careful not to cross the imaginary line that divided the bed in half. "So what's on?"
"Absolutely nothing," she sighed watching the programs scroll by with little amusement. Suddenly her eyes lit up, "Oh good. 'Runaway Bride' is on. I love that movie!"
"Really?" Elliot asked as she changed the channel.
"What? I'm not allowed to be romantic sometimes?" she asked. "Beside that one guy is very good looking."
"Richard Gere?"
"No the other guy. The one she dumps before their wedding."
"Oh Coach Bob," Elliot said. "Kathy always said he looked familiar. I never saw it."
Olivia laughed before shivering slightly in the mildly cold air. She pulled back the covers and snuggled underneath them, her bare arm brushing Elliot's. "How are you so warm?" she asked before snuggling closer to his body before her mind could scream at her to stop.
Elliot froze, not knowing whether to wrap his arm around her shoulders like he wanted to or just lay as he was and pray that she wouldn't move. When he felt her body relax he let his own muscles slack and just enjoyed the feeling of her skin against his.
The movie hadn't been playing long before Elliot glanced down at his partner and noticed she was fast asleep. 'So much for loving that movie,' he thought. Reaching for the remote he began flipping through channels finding nothing more than late night talk shows and the such. Looking over at the nightstand he took note of the time and sighed. 'What else would be on at 12:30 a.m.?' Two more channels flew past before the unmistakable sound of moaning and sighing filled the room. Elliot froze and then just had to laugh.
Olivia felt the gentle rumble of his laughter and cracked her eyes ever so slightly. It was then that she heard the TV and knew what Elliot was laughing at. "Elliot, why are you watching porn?"
He jumped at the sound of her voice and immediately blushed. "I just thought it was funny that the honeymoon suite gets free porn. I mean how many people are going to be watching TV on their honeymoon?"
"Maybe some people like to watch porn when they have sex," Olivia giggled in her half-asleep state and turned her attention back to the TV.
"And you know this from experience?" he asked curiously.
"Not me," she defended, "but I dated this guy once who couldn't get it up unless there was porn on. And I don't just mean on, he turned it up freakishly loud and watched it like a 'How To' video. Needless to say that relationship didn't last long."
Elliot attempted to keep his laughter at bay but it erupted from him like a damn had burst. "That's priceless Liv."
"I'm glad you find my social life amusing," Olivia said trying to sound angry, but she knew it was impossible to stay angry at her partner when he was smiling. At least for her it was. "I've shared my embarrassing sexual experiences with you, now tell me yours."
"I don't have any to share," Elliot said trying to sound disinterested. "Once you are married, sex isn't all that exciting."
"Oh come on, you and Kathy had to do something kinky every now and then," she sat up in the bed and faced him, "so spill."
Even in the dim light of the room, Elliot could see the beauty in her face. Her hair was slightly tussled from the short sleep she had and her tank top was scrunched up revealing a piece of her tanned and well toned stomach. He willed his body not to react and searched his subconscious for subjects to calm himself down. 'Cold rain, the Yankees losing, George Bush getting elected for a third term, Kathy getting remarried.' The last thought worked its charm as Elliot felt his muscled relax.
"Well Kathy did have this fascination with handcuffs," he offered hoping it would satisfy Olivia's thirst for knowledge. He knew by the look on her face it wasn't working.
"That's not all," she stated matter-of-factly. "You're hiding something from me Stabler. C'mon let your kinky side out, I promise no one outside of this room will hear about it."
Elliot took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, debating in his own mind whether or not to tell Olivia his deep, dark secret. How would she react? Would she ever look at him that same again? What would it do to their friendship? These questions bounced around in his brain like a game of pinball until he physically shook his head attempting to clear his thoughts.
"Well there is this one thing…"
And there you have it! God I love cliffhangers, don't you? Probably not. Anyway that little Bush joke was just something that I could not pass up. Maybe it's just me but thinking about that man in office until 2012 would kill any arousal that I was experiencing. Oh yeah and don't forget to review! Let's see if we can break 100!
