AN: Jan 6th! We get new Eppies Tonight y'all. WhooHoooo!

Endless Night

Christmas was perfect, even if it ended with Elliot telling Olivia she'd be followed home by a Unit for safety precautions, but she was used to Elliot's chaos by now, so the news was altogether surprising.

Olivia closed Noah's bedroom door and texted Elliot.

"We are home, safe and sound. Unit checked the apartment, the building, and parameters. Thanks again for one of the best Christmas dinners we've ever had. Good luck tomorrow with Angela. Keep me posted."

Elliot responded.

"I miss you already, can you talk?"

A hot rush ran through her insides.

"...Sure," she texted, and in less than a second her facetime was ringing.

"What's your favorite music?," he just jumped right in.

"Facetime? Are we doing this now? And you're shirtless."

"Oh," Elliot pulled the camera up to his face. "Sorry…wasn't thinking. I'm…I sleep shirtless. I'll put a shirt back on. Should I hang up and just call? Eli and my mom are doing video calls all of the time now, so I just…"

"No, it's fine, I'm in it to win it," She softened. "I just have to clean up the kitchen for a second and get ready for bed, so you'll have to do that with me."

"I'm in it to win it," he joked back.

"What's this about music?"

"What do you have on your Ipod"

"…ahhh…if I tell you, are you going to sing to me?"

"Are you drinking?"

"No? Should I be?"

"Then I'll spare you this one time."

She laughed. "Why do you want to know what's on my IPod…or I guess playlists. Do people still use Ipods?"

"Eli bought the house an I-tunes music subscription and this Ipod because I keep forgetting my personal phone and then I don't have music. Anyway, I need some new music."

"Well…what you do like? I feel like you're a classic rock guy? Are you that?"

"Oh yea, sometimes. Zepplin, Van Halen, Rolling Stones."

"How about Foreigner. Or 'Come and Get your Love'. I forget who sings that. Maybe some Beatles…."

"Okay…those are all good. What are you listening to? I want to know what you like. Not what you think I like. What are your heart songs, Olivia," He pushed.

She stopped putting away dishes and held back a laugh. "My what?"

"Your heart songs. You never heard of that saying before? Your top ten list. Your favorite artists. Your go-to therapeutic jams. I want to know what you dance to. What you cry to. What are you singing in the shower or in the car?"

"Oh boy, I do need to be drinking." She checked her watch and it was still early enough. She popped open some wine and poured as she flirted with how much information she really wanted to give away.

"I love Stevie Nicks. Taylor Swift. Lizzo. She's great to work out to. Moon River is a fav of mine. Lady Ga Ga …Ah, I don't know, my heart songs…you're getting personal, Detective."

"I know," he sweetly replied. "I want to know these things…about you. We only ever talk about our kids, my issues, and the job. I want to know…weekend Liv."

She headed back to her room and set the phone up next to her bed.

"Weekend Liv. Geez. I need to get more comfortable if we're going to start talking about weekend Liv," She smiled and went off camera to change into her night clothes. She grabbed her old long sleeved sweater shirt and then stopped herself, and swapped it for the silky purple top with the low cut neck and the soft long matching pants that made her hips look slender. She changed as she talked.

"So weekend Liv is usually stuck with a 10 year old, and typically I'm listening to things like Imagine dragons, Old Town Road, and Ariana Grande."

She climbed on the bed and reached for her wine in front of the screen. "Oh or if I'm really lucky….Weird Al," she ended with a hint of joking seduction.

"Nice jammies. Tell me more," Elliot played along.

"But if you really want to hear my 'heart songs', you'd have to catch me while I'm making dinner…or sneak into my ear buds on my way to work."

"Yes," he flirted. "Let me hear what's in those ear buds."

"Carol King…."

"Ow, you make me feel," Elliot sang. "You make me feel like a natural woman."

Olivia full on laughed.

"There's that laugh. See, my singing is good for something."

"Your voice isn't that bad."

"Thanks. What else?"

"Ah," she lay back thinking. Her hair falling all around her shoulders and her cleavage just visible enough to let Elliot know she was warming up to his advances. "Sarah Barellis…One Sweet Love, Really anything from her first Album, or One Republic, Pink, Adelle, Patsy Cline, Florence and the Machine… Joni Mitchel. "

"I wish I had a river."

"Such a great song. That song gets me through some really hard days. What do you listen to on a bad day?"

Elliot stopped to type something.

"I'm googling Imagine Dragons. Wow, I'm old. You actually listen to Arianna Grandi?"

"Grande. And yes, we do…because Noah insists, and she's not that bad."

"Yeah, yeah. You like her too. One Republic? What is that? OHhhhh 'too late to apologize.' guys. I can't imagine why you're listening to that," he said with sarcasm. "I hope it's not too late."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're on your way back to my good graces, let's just leave it at that. What are you listening to these days?"

"Not much. Eli got me into Eurovision and Punk music though, which I have to say, good Punk music is more cathartic than you'd think. Descendants. Dear Landlord. I like a guy named Bob Mould. You heard of him?"

"No, and ….wow….punk music and a moldy guy. You did have a mid-life crisis didn't you."

He laughed. "I also listen to smooth jazz when I cook, so it's not that wild over here. I 'm going to take you to a Bob Mould concert. I think you'd like Bob Mould. First of all, he's my age. Secondly, he's incredible. Thirdly, you'd like his lyrics."

"What are some of his lyrics?"

"Owww, are you asking me to sing again?"

She softly smiled at him. "I am."

"Another time. Time after time

You make me feel so helpless I-

I never tried to change your mind

I keep it to myself it's

Sometimes I've got to tell you

Is it this time I'll tell you…I feel so helpless."

"I'll have to search him tomorrow and listen," Liv smiled.

"So if a guy were going to take a classy woman out on the town, what kind of food do you think she'd like? Besides Chinese and the Irish Pub."

"You taking me to dinner?"

"Maybe."

"You know me, I'm not afraid to mix things up. The west village has a bunch of places I've been wanting to try. Tapas. Cuban. Thai. Indian. Burgers. Really anything over there smells and looks amazing. "

Elliot now stretched out on his bed. She could see his night stand.

"What are you reading?"

"That is a sci-fy. Not sure if I'm into it yet. I keep falling asleep…so that's not a good sign."

"Interesting. I've only ever seen you read the newspaper."

"I like Sci-fi or political fictional thriller."

"Really? You go to work all day in a political thriller, and then you come home and read it?"

"Yep."

Olivia looked at the autobiography "Unbound" on her night stand. "Well…I have no room to judge, I'm currently reading about Tarana Burke, the woman who started the #metoo movement."

"Let me guess, abused as a child by her uncle, grows up angry, has a kid, starts a women's movement."

"It's actually the best book I've read in a really long time, but yes, you've pretty much IDed her."

"I'm good at my job."

"You are," she yawned.

She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"I like when you smile," he said.

"Thanks. This is nice," she said softly. "We should facetime more often."

"Yeah this is so much better than me calling you at 3am and asking about a case during a manic episode. I'm sorry it took me so long to come back. I wish I was there, I want to hold you…I mean…if you consented."

She smiled again. "I think I could consent to a hold. That sounds really really nice."

"I like that color on you," he yawned. "Purple…it's good on your skin."

"I like your blue eyes on my screen," she replied and yawned back.

"I should let you go…"

"Yeah I should too…I actually have to work tomorrow," she replied.

"Wait…get in the covers."

She gave him an eyebrow.

"Just do it. I got this thing finally downloaded. Let's just listen to something and fall asleep."

Olivia went along with the playfulness of this idea, though it felt much too innocent and out of sorts, and she was much too jaded to not question it. She watched him get his nightstand set up and felt a smitten youthful kind of feeling flutter in her chest. She didn't think she could have these kinds of feelings anymore. Was it even possible that they just had a phone date and talked about music like high school sweethearts. What kind of man loves like that?

"This one," he said as he clicked on a song. "Turn your lights out," he whispered.

Olivia followed suit.

Through the phone she could hear Carol King singing 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow'.

Tonight you're mine completely

You give your love so sweetly

Tonight the light of love is in your eyes

But will you love me tomorrow

"Carol is definitely a classic," Elliot whispered.

"Yeah, her songs are my all time favorites."

Is this a lasting treasure

Or just a moment's pleasure

Both of them held the phones close to their chest and looked up at the ceiling, for the first time, finally together in their thoughts, not feeling alone or contemplating deep dark secrets or harboring anxiety from their day. Just feeling content and listening to the music.

Can I believe the magic of your sighs

Will you still love me tomorrow

"I love you, Olivia," Elliot said.

Olivia hesitated.

I'd like to know that your love

Is love I can be sure of

So tell me now and I won't ask again

Will you still love me tomorrow

"I love you, too."

The song slowly ended.

"Good night, my Olivia."

"Good night…my Elliot."

AN: yeah- shout out some EO love in my review section if you're excited for some law and order tonight!