Please review! I know I'm a bit late to the Christmas bandwagon, but the holidays are busy.

"Mama?" Elliot called out into the loft, pulling out his keys out of the lock as Olivia stepped around him to get inside.

Bernie stepped out of the kitchen to peer down the hallway, smiling when she saw their guest. "You brought my favorite person. Honey, what can I get you? There's cookies, pie. I think we have pasta in the fridge. I can make you a plate."

"Thank you, Bernie, but I'm okay." Olivia smiled as the older woman pulled her in for a hug.

"But, you're too skinny." Bernie protested.

Elliot smiled as he greeted Bernie with a kiss to her cheek. "Don't worry, Mama. I'm making her dinner." He winked at Olivia. "We'll get some meat on her bones."

Olivia scoffed, leaning against the island as Elliot pulled off his blazer jacket. "I was smaller your last year at SVU, even smaller when you met me."

"So was I," Elliot smirked before glancing down her frame and earning and incredulous smirk from her in return, "I'd say we both look better now."

"Alright, are you ready, Grandma?" Kathleen called out, emerging from Eli's room and smiling when she saw Olivia in the kitchen with her father. "Well, hello. Dad, did you change your mind about the party?"

Elliot shook his head once. "Like hell, I did."

Olivia, seeing Elliot digging through cupboards, turned to Kathleen with a curious gaze. "What party? You got a hot date tonight or something?"

"No, some of our old neighbors in Queens get together every year to go Christmas caroling. It's been a few years since we've gone, but I figured it would be good for us. Even Eli agreed to go." Kathleen stated proudly, turning as Eli walked out begrudgingly with a striped Santa hat on his head. "I think he only agreed because it's a chance to get out of the loft without Dad's surveillance."

"I was also promised food." Eli reminded her before he helped Bernie get into her coat. "Dad, we're going to take Grandma back to her place."

"Alright, have fun. Please be careful. If you see a bowl filled with keys, just turn around and leave." Elliot requested, eyeing his children. He kissed Bernie's cheek again before helping her put on her scarf.

Kathleen scoffed. "Do you really think I would take my little brother to a Christmas party orgy? We're going caroling. The only time somebody is going to be singing 'Joy to the World' is out in the snow, not during an orgasm."

Elliot stared at his daughter for a moment, feeling his ears heat up as the slight embarrassment washed over him. "Okay, not what I was thinking at all. Thank you for ruining a song about Jesus entering the world. I will never make it through a Christmas mass again."

"Glad to make an impact." Kathleen chuckled before waving at Olivia. "Good to see you, Liv. Hopefully, Dad doesn't give you too much trouble tonight."

"He already bribed me with a bag full of chocolate. He's earned a few points." Olivia laughed, patting Elliot's arm as she sidled up behind him and peeked around his shoulder. "You guys have fun. And, bundle up. It's pretty cold outside."

"Says the woman in leggings, and it was Irish chocolate." Elliot stated, raising his eyebrows as he peered down at her.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, Dad." She kissed his cheek before following Bernie and Eli to the door. "I'll have Eli text you when we get to the party, or otherwise you'll see where we are when you track his phone later."

Olivia chuckled softly into Elliot's shoulder as the others left, leaving them in an otherwise quiet apartment. "Christmas caroling sounds more enjoyable now."

Elliot barked out a laugh, turning to bring his arms around her. He backed her up to the counter, gently letting his body pin hers there. "I would think Jingle Bells would sound dirtier than Joy to the World." He glanced down at her covered chest pressed against his. "Probably something I'd have to study lyrics for."

"I look forward to your findings, Professor. I'll have to bring my reports of my own findings." Olivia smirked, brushing her thigh between his legs. She giggled softy when he grunted and held her tighter. "As much as you think I need to quote 'get some meat on my bones,' I'm not really that hungry."

"Alright," Elliot nodded, skimming his lips over hers, "then why don't you pick out a bottle of wine? I'll go change and meet you back here."

Olivia hummed softly. "Where are the wine glasses?"

After Elliot showed her where the glasses were, he disappeared into his room to change. She made her way over to the wine rack somewhat stashed away and grabbed a bottle she recognized. She was just plugging the bottle back up when Elliot emerged in sweats and a t-shirt. "I'm glad I stopped by the precinct. You got to admit. I'm much more fun than paperwork."

Olivia chuckled as she placed the rest of the wine in the fridge. "I don't know. I think I still need more convincing." She took her glass when he extended it to her, feigning hurt at her comment. "I am glad though that you came around tonight. A lot of what you said. . ."

"I meant all of it." Elliot breathed.

"I know," Olivia nodded, reaching out and squeezing his hand, "and I needed to hear it. We've never been good at being vocal with our feelings or what's going through our minds. We haven't had to. A lot of time we just couldn't."

Elliot pulled out a barstool for her, letting her sit down before joining her in the seat beside her. "You seem to have gotten better with being open."

"I had to." Olivia muttered with a shake of her head. "Would've turned into my mother if I hadn't. Noah helped a lot too. He saved me in a lot of ways from myself." She saw his concerned gaze and leaned over to gently cup his jaw in her hand. "I'll tell you about it eventually. I just want to enjoy tonight though. It's not every night I get you this relaxed and open."

"I plan to change that. You seeing it more, I mean." Elliot promised, missing her touch when her hand dropped from his face. "Like I said back at the station, I can't let you go now that I know you've chosen me. I can't protect you from everything, but I damn sure won't let anyone try to take you away from me."

Olivia bit her lip, letting her fingertip dance a long the edge of her wine glass. "El, you don't always need to protect me. I can protect myself, and you've given me strength in some ways to protect myself. You've done a lot more than you think you have." She wanted to change the subject, knowing they were precariously close to a topic she didn't want to dive into tonight. "So, tell me. Where do you get those chocolates?"

Elliot grinned and shook his head. "I can't divulge that information. If I tell you where it is, I know you'll trek all the way out there, and I'm not letting you drive that far for chocolate when I'm happy to do it." He was further amused when she shoved at his knee with her foot before bringing it up on the barstool in exasperation. "Besides, it's an excuse to come see you. I wasn't kidding about giving you one when we had a hard case. It made me feel better just to get a smile out of you."

"Who knew you were such a sap?" Olivia blushed, taking a sip of her wine. "But, you better be careful then while you're working. If you do something stupid that lands you in the hospital and no one knows where to get that chocolate for me, I am not going to be a nice nurse when you come home."

Elliot blushed thinking about it, running a hand down his face as he glanced down her body again. "Punished by a hot nurse with her own set of handcuffs. I can think of worse ways to come home." He shrugged once. "And if all else fails, Noah's got your heart. He'll take pity on me. I don't know him too well, but what kind of grudge can he hold?"

"I haven't had to find out." Olivia stated with a smirk of her own. "You'll have to let me know. But, I'll probably take pity on you and take care of you anyway. I'll still be royally pissed at you though."

"I'll be fine as long as I get my sponge baths." Elliot grinned, earning a laugh from Olivia that made his chest fill with pride. He had missed that sound terribly, and he hadn't gotten the privilege to hear it since he'd come back. He craved more of it, more of her. Reaching out, he wrapped his hand around the foot she'd brought to rest on her barstool and pulled it over the short distance to his lap. He met her eyes as he leaned forward to prop his chin on her bent knee, both hands gently massaging her calf muscles.

Olivia bit her lip feeling his blue eyes piercing through her. "It's still hard to believe you're here."

He knew. He knew that feeling well. Even though he was the one that left, sometimes it was hard for him to believe she was back in his life despite how horribly his actions had hurt her. He didn't deserve her. Nobody would ever deserve her, but that didn't mean he was going to leave her to find somebody better now that he had her. Placing a kiss to her knee, he reached out to her again. This time, his hand wrapped around the barstool and pulled it over, bringing her as close as the chairs would allow. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Then, you better come closer." Olivia breathed. Those were all the words he needed apparently, because she was out of her seat seconds later with a gasp when his hands found their way to her ass and nearly thrust her against him. She grasped his shoulders, one hand curling around the back of his neck as their lips met. The smile the broke across her lips couldn't be helped as she felt more than heard his groan when his hands slid up her sweatshirt to feel the heat of her skin. His palms spread over her ribs felt as right as his lips on hers.

He felt like a teenager again, trying to cop a feel of his crush. She was all heat and passion and real. It wasn't his imagination this time. The warmth of her skin was burning his fingertips. Her hips slanted over his had him yearning to remove the layers the separated them. He felt her nails gently tickling the back of his neck, her lips almost sinful in how well they seemed to know his already. She'd been his personal dream for as long as he could remember at this point, and he felt something spread like wildfire through his body finally getting this chance.

When it had lasted to the point where he felt his lungs may explode, their lips parted. Their foreheads immediately pressed together as their breath intermingled between their lips. He reached up, cupping the back of her head where her ponytail snuck between his fingers. "I missed you. God, I missed you so damn much, Liv. Just, everything about you. I didn't think it was possible to miss somebody like that."

"Me too." Olivia breathed before wrapped her arms around his neck and pulling him as close as possible. It had been years since she'd felt his arms around her like this. He hugged her at the hospital after Kathy's death, but this wasn't fueled by grief. This was two people just needing to be near one another. As much as she knew that he had missed her, something seemed to ease itself in her mind finally hearing the words out loud from him. She knew the feeling well. It sunk into her bones and seemed to make her ache just thinking of his name. He'd always been her anchor to life, reminding her that someone cared about her, made sure she was safe. When he was no where to be found, she felt like he was dragging her to the bottom of the ocean to never be found, because she couldn't find him. She had mourned him, but she knew he was going to do everything he could to make it up to her. Even if he made mistakes along the way.

Elliot wrapped his arms tightly around her, breathing her in with his nose in her neck. "I'm going to love you forever, Liv. Is that okay with you?"

Olivia smiled, turning her head to drop her forehead to his temple. She skimmed his cheek with her lips. "As long as you're okay with the same from me. It's all I want."

"Thank God." Elliot breathed, making her giggle into his ear. He wasn't sure if he loved that sound more than her laugh from a few moments ago, but he was open to explore what other sounds he could get from her that would quickly become his favorite. "So knowing that and the fact that you have a kid free apartment tonight, do you want to go home and enjoy a quiet apartment or?"

She found it adorable how he was trying to broach the topic of her staying the night, and she felt playful enough to mess with him. "That sounds wonderful. Think you could drive me home?"

Elliot blushed when she continued to giggle, clearly calling him out for his detour of his goal. "I've never lied to you, Liv. I'm not going to start now. But, I will go outside and slash my own tires just to tell you you'll have to stay. Unless you really want to go home. I'm not going to pressure you."

"I don't want to go home, El." Olivia breathed with a roll of her eyes. To prove her point further, she rolled her hips against his. His hands immediately moved to her waist before he was rocking up against her, making her gasp with a small moan. "But, I do have to warn you before we go further."

"What's that?" Elliot asked, hands firmly planted on her waist. Despite wanting to continue, he didn't to disrespect her by not listening, and the tone in her voice with the words she uttered made him worry.

Olivia pulled back to meet his eyes, licking her lips as she became nervous. "Uh, something happened about eight years ago. I've dealt with it. I'm fine, but it left me with some scars." She put her hands on his chest when she felt his grip tighten on her hips. "I'll tell you about it. I promise, but I don't want to get into it tonight. I just didn't want you to be surprised."

Elliot nodded slowly. "Whatever it is, Liv, I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay," Olivia bit her lip, smiling gently at him. She took one of his hands and held it up to the zipper of her hoodie, removing her hand when he caught on.

Meeting her eyes again to ensure she was really okay, he began pulling down the zipper, revealing the sports bra and skin the lay hidden underneath. He saw the hint of a couple scars before reaching up and pushing the gray material off her shoulders, revealing more of them to his eyes. He knew whatever had happened to her was going to shatter something within him when she told him the story, knew that he was going to turn into the hothead she knew very well. But at this moment, she was being open and vulnerable with him, and that was more important to him. It would always be more important to him.

He set the hoodie aside on the counter before reaching for her again, meeting her eyes when he fingered the bottom of her bra. "Can I?"

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, taking in the little movements of his face as he took her in. She knew that he'd register how she got some of the scars. The detail on some of them left little doubt, but his eyes stayed the same. Nothing but love, now that she understood that look in its entirety now. It was the same every time he'd peer at her over their desks, even when they were completely drained. The same gaze that bore into her when words couldn't be said, when lines couldn't be crossed. Angry, sad, happy, relieved. His face showed those emotions, but his eyes held an adoration that made her love him even more. "You okay?"

"I'm fantastic." Elliot whispered before leaning forward and kissing her collar bones, slowly lowering his lips as he lavished her skin. He left nothing untouched, not even the scars. "My fantasies did not do you justice."

Olivia chuckled softly before it turned into a moan when his lips wrapped around one of her nipples. "Shut up. You did not, God, fantasize."

"I wouldn't blame God if he did, because I surely have." Elliot groaned before pulling her lips to his. He grabbed her ass again before standing, grunting when she wrapped her legs around his waist. When he was halfway to his bedroom, he paused and turned back around. "Hold on. I forgot your clothes."

"I don't really think we need them where we're going." Olivia mumbled kissing along his jaw.

Elliot frowned when he picked up her bra and sweatshirt. "Hold up. I recognize this. Is this my hoodie?"

Olivia smirked. "Not anymore. Now, why exactly do you need those?"

Elliot grinned, nipping at her lips playfully as he started carrying her back towards his room. "Because, I'm not going to be done with you by the time the kids come home, and I'd rather not play twenty questions with them in the morning when I could be in bed with you." As soon as he was in his room, he dropped her clothes to the floor before closing and locking the door.

Olivia pulled her hair tie loose, letting her flow down over her shoulders. She moaned when his lips were back on hers, feeling his hands lower her down onto his bed as he followed. Her fingers snatched the bottom of his t-shirt, helping him pull it off over his head and tossing it to the floor when he descended on her again. He was all over her, but she still wanted more. His lips traveled down her body, continuing down past her chest. She shivered when his fingers slipped inside her leggings, pulling them down along with her panties as his lips met every inch of flesh he uncovered.

"Oh, Christmas came early." Elliot breathed. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, spreading them apart as he kneeled between her legs. She was gorgeous, body flushed, hair splayed out across his bedspread, eyes blown wide with her arousal much like his probably were, and completely trusting him. "I love you so fucking much."

"I- Jesus." Olivia gasped. The heat of his mouth was on her before she could return the sentiment, rendering her speechless in that moment. He was slow but deliberate with his movements, discovering what she liked best and which strokes got a reaction out of her.

Elliot tried to commit everything to memory, feeling his own arousal become almost painful with every noise she made. When she nearly bucked off the mattress, he wrapped his arms more firmly around her thighs and added more pressure to his movements. He smiled watching the muscles in her stomach tighten, her body becoming taut as it arched off the bed. Withdrawing his right arm from her thigh, he used it to slid to fingers into her as his mouth enclosed over her clit. He groaned when he felt her clench around his fingers, and he moved them faster to send her careening over the edge.

Olivia whimpered when he continued his movements, torn between pushing him away or letting him continue to push her into another orgasm with his head between her legs. He was keeping her high enough with his strokes, not letting her come completely down from her orgasm. It was added to the heat coursing through her body. "El, get up here."

He grinned into her thigh, kissing just below the hollow of her hip before crawling over her. Even as they were both moving further up the mattress, she captured his lips with hers, smiling when his hand wound in her hair and his tongue slid against her own. She reached between them, swallowing his groan when her fingers wrapped around him. Pumping him a couple times, she tilted her hips and moved him to her entrance. "I love you too." She panted, finally able to get it out before he was rocking into her.

Elliot pressed his face against the side of hers, trying not to explode at the first real feel of her. The aftershocks her body was still enduring from her first orgasm were making him harder if it were possible. It was taking everything in him not to pound into her. She was wet and warm and fit around him like she was made for him. When her nails dug into his back, he started moving slowly, grunting into her neck. His body bucked into hers though when she tightened her core around him. He let out one warning. "Liv."

"Yes." Was all Olivia provided, a moan quickly following when Elliot's thrusts sped up. She felt herself climbing towards the edge again, faster this time with Elliot touching almost every part of her. When he grabbed one of her thighs and raised it higher up on his torso, the new angle made her jaw drop. "Fuck."

"That's it." Elliot breathed, feeling her nails digging into his ass now. It only pushed him harder, and it was bringing his own climax closer. "Liv, touch yourself."

Her body clenched at that, head turning to nip at his jaw. Untangling one of her arms from the mess that was them, she slid it between their bodies again before circling her clit. It only took a couple more thrusts before she was flying off the edge again, moaning out Elliot's name and four letter words that she wouldn't remember saying when her body calmed down.

Elliot continued to thrust into her, only finding her lips with his again when he starting cumming, rocking his hips against hers as her body welcomed his full weight. He groaned into her mouth, smiling as she hummed into his own. He touched everywhere he could as their highs wore off, caressing her thighs, arms, up her neck and into her hair. He never wanted to stop touching her. "Holy shit." He breathed when their lips parted, dropping his forehead to hers. "Joy to the World is pretty fitting."

Olivia laughed, bringing both hands up to cup his face as he chuckled himself. "Pretty sure I'm better than caroling. Although, I bet the kids haven't even started that yet."

"Oh, if you think I'm done with you tonight," Elliot breathed, turning his face to kiss her palm, "we're just getting started."

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