Mellie and Fitz stood outside the courthouse and stared down at the papers in Fitz's hands. The papers that held the judgment on their divorce.
A smile covered Fitz's face as he read its approval. He peered up at Mellie, who nodded and gave him a smile.
"Well. See ya, sucker," she joked.
He chuckled, folding up the papers in his hands and letting out a sigh of relief.
This felt like it had gone on forever. Since Abby had helped them and their divorce was uncontested, it was an easy and quick process. But still, it felt like he had been waiting years for this.
Well. He supposed he had been.
"Don't 'see ya' me just yet. We still live together," he laughed.
"True. But, not for long. You can buy your house now," she pointed out.
"Finally," he nodded thankfully.
Finally, now that he was legally divorced, buying his own property was much easier. It was something he could have done in the middle of divorce proceedings, but it also would have been much more difficult. So, he'd waited it out, even with the risk that his top choice homes would sell. Spent a little more time researching, and finding the right realtor.
And, in that time, his and Karen's second favorite house had sold. But their first favorite had not.
And now, he couldn't wait to have his realtor put an offer in on it.
"Ouch," Mellie joked.
"Oh, as if you don't want me out anyway," Fitz replied.
"Also true," Mellie agreed. "No offense."
"None taken," he said. "Hey. Abbs. You ready to go?"
Abby nodded, putting up a finger as if to say "one minute" while she was on the phone a few feet away.
Work stuff on a Saturday. He knew that crappy feeling.
"Now they'll file the judgment with the clerk's office for us, and...she just has to serve me the Notice of Entry?" Mellie asked, pointing to Abby.
"Mhm, I think so," Fitz nodded. "And that's it. We have everything else now. Just...make sure to keep all your copies of everything — you'll need them as proof before you marry your...dream husband."
Mellie chuckled. "Yeah. We'll see about that."
"I'm telling you. It'll happen," Fitz said.
Mellie wasn't so sure about that. Never had been. But Fitz knew it would. She'd find him.
She looked unconvinced as Abby walked up.
"Alright. Sorry about that, this entire week has been nuts at work. And apparently, it's spilling into my weekend, too," Abby sighed.
"No worries. Thank you again for everything. Especially because we know you're so busy," Fitz said.
Mellie nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Abby."
"You're both very welcome. I'm so happy I could be a part of your...long-awaited separation," Abby laughed. "You guys made it very easy on me."
"Well, we owe you," Fitz.
"No, stop with that! You owe me nothing. That's what friends are for," Abby assured him.
Fitz looked at Mellie and they both shook their heads.
"How about lunch? Can we take you out?" Fitz asked.
Abby smiled and gave them a nod. "Sure. I would like that very much. And I'm pretty sure you won't take no for an answer, anyway."
"No, he wouldn't," Mellie nodded. "He's very stubborn these days."
"Oh, Christ," Fitz chuckled. "I'm stubborn."
"You know, I have been thinking the same thing!" Abby agreed, nodding at Mellie.
The two women looked at Fitz and shook their heads, which had him scoffing.
They certainly were not friends. Never had been. But, he had to admit, since Abby was coordinating their divorce, Mellie had been forced to play nice. And it had been good for them. They almost looked like acquaintances or something now. Especially when they teamed up on him like that. And in the spirit of being amicable, Fitz would absolutely take that. He actually would have appreciated that a long time ago, because it would have made his life a hell of a lot easier.
But oh well. Better late than never.
They had lunch at a nice place in Rye, and sent Abby home with an insanely nice bottle of red wine that they'd brought for her too. Truly, it was the least they could do, but Abby wouldn't take anything else.
So, when Fitz and Mellie got back to their house, officially divorced now — they didn't even know what to do with themselves. They did share an awkward smile and chuckle together as they stood together in the kitchen.
Fitz had a plan though. There was only one person he wanted to see right now. And since Karen was at Casey's all day, and sleeping over, he didn't want to waste any time.
"I think I'm gonna head out," Fitz announced.
"Okay. I think I might too. Harmony and I talked about running some errands together," Mellie nodded. "She might come and spend the night, since I'll be alone otherwise."
"That sounds like a great idea," Fitz nodded, giving her a smile.
Not that it was his business what Mellie did with her day — but for some reason, since they'd officially called it quits today, he was glad she wouldn't be alone. It just didn't feel good to think about.
"I'll head back early tomorrow and pick up K before my tee time. I'll coordinate with Susan. Sound good?" Fitz asked.
"Yeah, that'd be perfect," Mellie agreed.
"Cool. Well, I'm going to go grab a few things quick and then I'll be on my way."
"Okay."
When he came back upstairs with a small overnight bag in hand, he bent down to give Hank some attention before he left.
And then, he stood up and gave Mellie a polite nod.
"Well. I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
"Don't go...rushing into any new marriages while I'm gone," he joked. "We all know how the first one went."
She rolled her eyes and shooed him away with a laugh. "I'll try my hardest not to. Bye, Fitz."
"Bye, Mell," he chuckled.
He drove to the train station, getting there a little bit before his train did.
The excitement in his stomach only grew. He'd been keeping Olivia up to date via text; she already knew that things were final. But there was just something about seeing her in person for the first time that felt exciting.
Almost freeing.
And as he waited in his car a little longer, he fiddled with his hands and happened to brush the warn titanium band on his left ring finger.
He never really noticed it. It had grown to be a part of his appearance, like it did for most people. He wore it just because that's what people did, and he didn't take it off.
But now, on such a momentous day — he actually thought twice about it. It actually crossed his mind that it was something he probably should have taken off already. Especially for Olivia's sake, who undoubtedly thought about it more than he did.
So a smile crossed his face as he started to pull it off.
The skin underneath was much paler than the rest of his hand; so he was left with quite the tan line. He wondered how quickly she would notice.
When it was time, he headed into the station and hopped on the train. Thank Goodness he'd packed his book with him in his bag — a Godsend during a train ride.
And so, to pass the time, he read, and the excitement inside him only grew stronger.
Especially because they were meeting at their favorite coffee place in the city. One that they didn't always go to because it was a little more out of the way than Starbucks. But it still held such a special place in their hearts.
Looking up at the sign that said "Birch Coffee" on the outside, Fitz smiled and headed for the entrance.
And there she was. Sitting at their booth in the back, walled-in by bookshelves. Such a pretty sight.
She was on her phone, but as soon as the door opened she turned to look at him. And the biggest smile he'd ever seen crossed her face.
She had a hard time waiting for him to even reach the booth before she got up and immediately threw her arms around his neck in a big hug.
He pulled her into his body instantly and sighed into her shoulder, her shirt smelling of her perfume. He picked her up off the floor a little bit, holding her so tightly.
And they said nothing. Not for a long time. It was a long-awaited moment for them, and a long-awaited hug. So much so that it brought a few tears to Olivia's eyes.
He didn't notice until he heard her muffled sniffle against his chest, which made him finally pull away.
He knew they were happy tears. Such happy tears. But even still, he wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs, looking down at her endearingly before he finally broke their silence.
"Oh, Olivia," he said softly, kissing each cheek where her tears had fallen. "Baby, you're going to make me cry."
"I'm sorry," she giggled, wiping her face too. "I did not plan this. Ugh, I need to stop."
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay. Happy tears are okay."
"They're very happy tears," she whispered, sniffling. "Oh my God, this just doesn't feel real, Fitz."
"It is," he assured her. "This is real."
She sighed contently into his chest, and he held her there again for a while. People around them were probably wondering what was going on, but they paid no attention to anyone else.
"I'm just so happy, Fitz," she whimpered.
He sighed, feeling tears start to well up in his own eyes at her statement, and the pure gratefulness in her voice. But he pushed them back. He didn't need to be a mess in this coffee shop right now.
He blinked them away and swallowed hard, rubbing her back.
"I'm so happy you're happy. And I'm so happy too. I'm so happy. I haven't even...known what to do with myself all day. I've just been waiting and waiting to see you," he chuckled quietly.
"Me too," she nodded.
"I love you," he whispered. "I love you more than you know."
"I love you," she nodded into his chest. "I love you."
He tilted her chin upward and gave her a kiss, which she wasn't expecting at the moment. So then she giggled against his lips and kissed him back. It would have easily turned into a makeout session if they weren't in a public place.
"You want coffee?" he murmured, still kissing her.
"Mhm."
"Okay. I'll be back with something you like," he nodded, giving her one last kiss.
"Okay," she smiled, watching him walk away.
She let out a happy sigh as she sat back down, still peeking her head around the corner to watch him as long as she could before he disappeared out of sight.
Goddamn did she love that man.
He came back with two iced coffees, and set hers down in front of her.
"My love," he said. "An iced macchiato."
"Oh! Thank you, my love," she giggled. "A treat."
"Mhm," he nodded, about to go sit down across from her.
But she grabbed his hand.
"Wait, no, sit by me," she said, giving him a smile.
He looked like he was so upset with himself, and he chuckled.
"What on earth was I thinking?!" he asked, scooting in next to her.
"I don't know, but I forgive you," she nodded, kissing his cheek.
"Oh good, thank you," he chuckled.
"What did you get?" she asked, nodding to his coffee.
"An iced latte today," he said.
"Yum," Olivia nodded, taking a sip of hers.
She rested her hand on top of his on the table, not wanting to go long without any sort of physical contact.
And upon that physical contact, she realized something and did a double-take.
His left hand was bare. Specifically, his left ring finger.
"Holy shit, baby," she noted.
"Yeah. About damn time I took that off," he chuckled.
"Oh my God," she said, studying his hand. "This is new."
"Very new," he agreed, spreading his fingers a bit as they analyzed his hand.
He watched her look at his hand almost in awe. And he had to think about how it felt for her. Even if it was as simple as a ring being gone. What that signified meant so much more.
"How's it make you feel?" he asked, smiling down at her.
"Fucking...fantastic," Olivia said. "Am I allowed to be that blunt? Is that insensitive?"
"Absolutely not, you're completely right. It is fucking fantastic," he chuckled.
"It's...fucking fantastic," she said again with a laugh. "Although...that ring did have one positive, I'll admit."
"What?"
"It kept other women away," Olivia nodded.
"Mmm, I see. So...should I put it back on?" he teased.
"No, no. Nope. No, I think we can manage this just fine," Olivia replied, holding his hand in hers.
"Good. 'Cause I don't really want to put a ring back on until...I'm marrying you."
She looked at him with wide eyes and a big smile, pointing at him.
"Now that was smooth, Fitzgerald. Did you hear how smooth you just were?" she asked.
He chuckled and nodded. "Thank you. I did hear it. Yes. It was...it was good wasn't it?"
"It was really good."
"Thank you. I'm...serious, though."
"I know you are, baby," she said, kissing his hand. "I very much approve of your statement."
"Good," he nodded.
She smiled up at him, looking at him with those big, brown eyes of hers that made his heart jump.
"Hm?" he chuckled.
"Nothing. I just love you and I'm glad that it has gone so well, and everyone is happy. It just...makes me happy, and I don't know what to do except smile at you," she laughed.
"I know. I don't know either. This whole day has just been...so crazy. It's still hard to believe it's happened," he admitted.
"I know. We've come...so far," she whispered, squeezing his hand.
"So far," he agreed. "You remember the day we met?"
"How could I forget," she replied, smiling. "You were this...sweet, gorgeous, mysterious person that intrigued me from the get-go."
He blushed and smiled back. "I felt the same exact way."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he chuckled. "Little did we know, where we'd be today."
"I know. Never in a million years would I have...foreseen this," she nodded. "You know what else I remember about the day we met?"
"Hm?"
"Your hard ass chest."
"What?!" he chuckled.
"Yes! Do you remember when we were about to have dinner? We were having spaghetti. And...I got lost trying to find the kitchen, and ran straight into you," she recounted.
"Oh," he laughed, nodding. "Yes. I do remember that. That was...that distracted me."
"It did?!" she giggled. "How come?"
He looked at her funny. "Because you're...fucking pretty?"
"Oh," she smiled, putting a hand to her mouth. "Honey, thank you."
"Of course. Thank you for running into me."
"Thank you," she laughed. "And for your firm chest, especially."
He laughed. "You're welcome."
"How's your coffee?" she asked.
"Good. How's yours?"
"Very good, thank you."
"How about...when we finish them, we go walk for a bit?" he asked.
Her face softened. "Oh, I'd love that, Fitz. It's so beautiful outside."
So that's exactly what they did after they had their fair share of their favorite coffee shop.
Hand in hand, they walked around the city. Something that was nice to do in the warm weather, and especially with someone you loved.
The city always provided lots to look at, and lots to talk about. And, since it was nice out, they ended up walking all the way back to her place. They normally would have taken a cab, but it was just too nice to.
When they got back to Olivia's place, it appeared Greta was getting ready to head out for the night. She had some music on, and was walking back and forth between the bathroom and her room.
"Oh! Hey O! Boyfriend!" Great exclaimed, as she applied mascara in the bathroom.
"Hey G!"
"Hey Greta," Fitz smiled, closing the door behind him.
"You two have a fun coffee date?" Greta asked.
"Yes, we did! You headed somewhere?"
"Yeah. I'm going to Mikko's," Greta smiled.
"Heyyy, nice!"
Olivia looked to Fitz. "Mikko is her new boyfriend."
Fitz nodded at Greta who was proudly smirking.
"Oh, nice! What're you two going to do?" Fitz asked.
"Well, he said he was going to cook for me. And then...we'll probably just watch Netflix or something," Greta shrugged.
"That sounds fun! So sweet of him," Olivia said.
"Yeah, I'm excited! What about you two lovebirds? What are you up to the rest of the day?"
"Well. I'm not sure what we're going to do yet, but we are in celebration mode, because as of today, my man is officially...my man," Olivia laughed.
Greta practically let a scream. "Oh my God, that's right!"
Fitz chuckled and wiggled his naked ring finger at Greta.
"Congratulations, you guys! I don't know if...that's normal to congratulate someone for? But congratulations anyway! I'm seriously so happy for you. I know...you've all gone through a lot to get here," Greta nodded.
"Thanks, Greta!" Fitz chuckled. "Congratulations are very welcome."
"Yes. Thank you. I'm not sure anything about our specific situation is normal, so we will happily accept the congratulations," Olivia laughed.
"Absolutely!"
"Well, we'll leave you be to get ready. Say bye before you leave, okay!" Olivia said.
"Will do! Good to see you Fitz," Greta said with a wave.
"Yeah, good to see you too!" he exclaimed, grabbing Olivia's hand.
She led him to her bedroom so he could set his bag down and they could relax a bit.
"Wanna come rest your legs with me?" she asked, plopping down in her bed and under the covers.
"Mhm," he nodded, dropping his bag and crawling in with her.
He crawled on top of her and rested himself between her legs, head upon her chest. They both wrapped their arms around each other comfortably under the blanket.
"I have a confession," Olivia whispered.
"Mmkay," he whispered.
"My legs are perfectly fine, I just wanted to cuddle."
He chuckled into her chest, and peered up at her.
"Yes, baby. I know."
She gasped. "You saw right through me!"
"Of course I did," he chuckled. "I know you."
She smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm so lucky for that."
"Mmm," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her exposed chest. "I'm so lucky."
They laid there like that for a while, cuddling — only for it to turn into more as time went on.
He'd gradually scooted up, and their cuddle session had turned into a makeout session. A very slow, long one.
Olivia had turned on some music in her room, just for Greta's benefit. She had some music of her own playing softly out there, but still, the sound of making out was pretty easy to identify, and she didn't want her to have to listen to that.
The randomly generated playlist she'd hit had begun with Nick Jonas's "Close" — quite a sensual song. Her phone seemed to have quite an affinity for those songs, but she didn't complain. It went with the mood.
They'd both kept their hands pretty stationary, but Fitz was the first one to break. He brought his hands up to her chest slowly, feeling her through her shirt because he just couldn't help it.
Small moans escaped her lips, but she was able to keep pretty quiet.
So he decided to go further.
He reached for her shirt and started pushing it upward, dragging his lips along her stomach along the way.
Her skin was so soft beneath them; he cherished each beautiful inch of her stomach. But when he did reach her breasts, he desperately wanted everything off, at least from the waist up.
"Can I take this off?" he whispered.
She nodded, sitting up so he could pull it over her head.
She and Greta never entered each other's rooms without knocking, so she didn't really care. As long as they didn't subject Greta to any questionable sounds, she was good to do anything.
Fitz clearly was too, because his hands started fiddling with her bra right after.
She had to try harder to keep quiet when he just about buried his face in her breasts. She inhaled sharply, immediately moving her fingers to his curly hair.
Post Malone's "Go Flex" was playing now, as he circled his tongue around each nipple until they both grew hard in his mouth. He took his time with each breast.
Sometimes he really just had the ability to make her feel fucking worshipped. His love for her body made her feel incredible. And every little insecurity that she ever had in her life felt distant.
He rested his forearms beside her and went to town on her, licking and sucking and gently nipping his way across her chest.
"You're so good at that," she murmured, legs widening out of habit.
His eyes flickered up to her as he massaged her breast while taking her nipple in his mouth again. He loved when she watched him.
The amount of time he spent on her breasts was going to be visible in time and with better lighting. He was sure there'd be visible evidence that his mouth had been there.
She wasn't stopping him, though, so he didn't think she minded. In fact, she was laying there, so relaxed and content. Looking happy as hell to receive this treatment and play with his hair.
And that felt good, too. So he just kept going.
Until there was a knock at the door.
Fitz quickly detached his mouth, and pulled the covers up over them to fully cover Olivia's chest. Which, then covered himself, too — so it probably was quite a funny sight. Only Fitz's head was visible, laying on Olivia's chest, and they were both under the comforter otherwise.
"Come in," Olivia laughed.
Greta peeked in and started giggling.
"Sorry to interrupt — just wanted to say bye," she laughed.
"No, I'm glad you did. Have fun with Mikko!" Olivia exclaimed. "Will you be back tonight?"
"Thanks! I'm not sure yet, but I'll let you know," Greta nodded. "You look extremely comfortable, Fitz."
"I am," Fitz chuckled.
"Take care of our girl tonight, you unmarried man, you," Greta said.
"I will," he assured her.
"Good. Okay. You may now return to whatever the hell you were doing before. Enjoy," Greta smiled, closing the door.
"Love you!" Olivia laughed. "Make good decisions!"
"Love you too! Be safe, wear a condom!" she yelled.
Fitz chuckled, shaking his head as they heard the door close outside.
"You're a good boy, you always do," she said, rubbing his cheeks.
"Of course I do," he nodded, laying his head back down on her chest.
She smiled, continuing to play with his hair. He could almost fall asleep like that. He was already fighting off the natural tiredness he had begun to feel throughout the day because of his medication.
"Are my boobs your pillows now?" she teased.
"Yes," he nodded. "They are...my favorite pillows. They're very nice."
He kissed one, and then the other, and then laid back down comfortably.
"Yeah I think I could tell that you thought that, with all that...work you were doing before," she nodded. "Right before you had to remove your mouth from my nipple and throw the covers on top of us."
He tried to hold in his laughter as he looked up at her, cheeks turning fiery red.
But they both laughed.
"I tried my best to act normal, okay?" he chuckled.
"You did well, smiley, good job," she said, admiring his crooked, adorable smile.
"Thanks. You did too. She clearly suspected...absolutely nothing," he joked.
"Oh yes, definitely. We were really normal."
Not.
Olivia turned off the music now, since they were alone.
"So um," Fitz began, looking up at her. "I was thinking."
"Oh. You were thinking?" she asked with a smile.
"Yep. I was," he nodded. "I think...I want to take you out for dinner. Maybe...some Italian?"
"Mmm," Olivia nodded.
"Yeah? And then...some dessert too. Because...well, obviously."
"Oh?" she replied, her smile getting bigger.
"Mhm. So...how's that sound?" he asked.
"That sounds great, baby! That will be fun! I love dates," she said happily.
"I do too," he nodded.
"God, Italian sounds so good right now, too," she said, closing her eyes. "Mm. Some pasta. Some bread. Yes, give me all the carbs. Excellent choice, I love it already."
"You and me. Connected," he said, pointing between the two of them.
She giggled, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "Well. Are you hungry? I should probably get up and put some makeup —"
"No, no," he said, gently pushing her chest back down. "I wasn't...I wasn't done yet, though."
"You weren't...done yet?" she asked, watching him start to grab the waistband of her leggings.
"No. I was not," he replied, pulling them down.
"Oh. Okay. Well, I'm definitely liking where this is going," she nodded in amusement.
He scrunched her leggings up and tossed them over his shoulder, before reaching for her thong.
They smiled at each other as it slid easily along her skin, and he tossed that aside too.
"I just want...a little dessert before my dinner."
He was settling down on his stomach between her legs as he said that. And God, what a turn-on he was.
She looked at him in awe, raising her eyebrows.
"You did not just say that."
"I did," he nodded, pressing a kiss to her clit. "Should I take it back?"
"Nope, I think it was the sexiest thing you've ever...said," she gasped, reaching for his curls.
"Oh. Well good," he nodded. "I'm gonna...ruin my appetite then."
She opened her mouth in pleasure at the feeling of his tongue.
"Please. Please — do."
He chuckled against her skin, dragging his tongue from her entrance back up to her clit.
"Turn the music back on, I liked that," he whispered.
She mindlessly reached for her phone and hoped to God if she touched it randomly that she'd hit the play button, and her little Bluetooth speaker would obey.
Thankfully — it did, and a Trey Songz song started playing.
"Ooh, I'm about to dive in..."
He nodded, analyzing what he just heard.
"Dive in?" he murmured, before returning his mouth to her clit. "Kind of...fitting."
She started to laugh — but his next actions cut it short, and she gasped instead.
He spread her apart and slid his tongue inside her slowly, watching the way she unraveled above him.
It never got old, seeing how she was affected by his mouth. Especially because he knew he excelled at it.
She could barely take it every time he did it. It always made her shake so hard, and whimper so loud. It was definitely not something he could have done with Greta just outside with only a thin wall between them.
"Fitz — Fitz," she moaned, arching her back.
Oh, the arched back had him hard.
He couldn't afford to stop when she hit that point of pleasure so he flicked his tongue faster.
It didn't take much longer for her to be dripping wet, from both his saliva and her own wetness. It was all over his lips and the insides of her upper thighs, too.
Her whimpers filled his ears. Whimpers of his name, or just sounds he couldn't even make out. But that was music to his ears.
Her legs started to shake and her fingers pulled violently at his hair, and he pushed her right over her edge.
"Yes — oh. Baby — yes. Fitz. Fitz —"
She gasped, and halted her fingers in his hair as she grinded desperately against his mouth — feeling all that tension release.
She let out one last pleasured moan, still extremely tensed up above him. Until it started to subside, and her muscles began to relax.
Both her legs and her back slowly dropped flat down on her bed, and she tried to calm her shaking body.
He pulled his mouth away from her swollen clit, even though he desperately didn't want to. But, he knew she was really sensitive now, and she looked absolutely exhausted, anyway.
Perfect. He'd done his job.
He wiped his wet lips and smiled, scooting up to greet her.
Her eyes were closed and unsteady breaths were coming from her lips as she laid there tiredly.
He scooted onto his side next to her, tracing soft circles on her stomach.
"Damn," she whispered. "I can't even...I don't want to move."
"That's okay. You just...lay here and I'll admire you for a while," he whispered, dragging his finger gently up her chest.
She let out a quiet laugh, and then a deep breath. Her eyes opened lazily, and she tilted her head to look at him.
"That was...unreal. You really know how to tire me the hell out."
"Yes," he nodded simply.
"I know I tell you every time you do it, but...seriously, baby, you are so good at that," she panted.
Yeah. He knew that. He swore it was the one thing he outright knew, and would never deny.
But still, the compliment had a smile covering his face, and his ego significantly boosted as always.
"Yes," he nodded again, giving her a smile.
That had her smirking. That confidence was sexy.
"But now I gotta...somehow get up, and...get ready."
"Just take your time," he replied. "Relax. You don't need any makeup anyway."
"Oh, honey, you're very kind. But I do," she nodded.
He shook his head. "You do not. You're gorgeous. Look at you."
She looked down at herself and giggled.
"Yeah, all I'm seeing right now is that I'm naked."
"I know, isn't it great?" he asked.
"Well, it'd be better if you were naked, too," she pointed out.
"I would happily get naked for you right now if you weren't...you know. On the verge of sleeping."
"That's fair. I'm not sleepy, though, my body's just wonderfully exhausted, and...my ears are kind of ringing — so I need that to subside."
"Wait. Your ears are ringing?!" he asked.
"Oh yes. It's a very common occurrence when you make me orgasm."
He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yep. What can I say, you're just that powerful," she said.
He smiled back and chuckled. "So are you. You know...what happens to me?"
"What?" she asked curiously.
"I um...I occasionally get really hungry, and...sometimes I have no idea what you're saying to me right after," he confessed.
"Oh my God! I understand both, though. So...your ears have issues afterward too?"
"No, I can hear you just fine. And I understand you. I just have trouble focusing for a minute or two sometimes. Like...my brain wants to take a break, along with every other part of my body," he chuckled.
"Yeah. Relatable," she laughed. "Although...I'm definitely the one to want to get right back up and go again..."
"Yeah you are," he agreed. "You are amazing. You have...absolutely no refractory period — you're always just...ready."
"Oh I definitely have one. But it's just...short," she agreed. "And so is yours, by the way. You're really impressive, actually."
"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled. "I'm getting old, so...I try my hardest for you."
"You are not getting old," she shook her head.
He sighed, pausing his finger on her chest. "Sometimes it feels like it."
"Well, you certainly don't look it. I can tell you that," she smiled.
He smiled back, his cheeks flushing automatically at the compliment. "I don't know about that either."
"I do. You want me to tell you how old you honestly look?" she asked.
He nodded hesitantly.
"If I didn't know you...I would think 25 at most," she said honestly.
"No," he chuckled in disbelief.
"Yes. Seriously. At most," she nodded. "Huck's boyfriend is that age, and you honestly look younger than he does."
"Wow," he chuckled. "Well, thank you, baby, that's nice to hear. It'd be nice if I really was 25. I think...that would make things easier for you and me. Or at least, a little bit."
She sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yes. It would. Or...if I was that age. But...what can we do. It is what it is. We can't change this."
"Yeah. I know," he nodded. "And I don't...I don't care about it. I really don't care what people think anymore either, and I certainly did at one point. But...I do still worry about it. If that...makes any sense?"
"It does. I feel the same," she agreed.
"We're at...really different places, Liv. I mean...really different places. We know that and we don't care. But...we do have to think about how...that's going to affect us, especially in the near future," he admitted. "Because...it will. It already has, and it always will."
"I don't think that's true, Fitz," she replied. "I think at one point, it won't matter anymore. I think...right now it does, because I'm farther behind than you are. But...in a few years, when I'm all done with school...I don't think it will matter."
He nodded and shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. I guess...I guess I'm just thinking about the near future because...that's where we are now."
"Yeah. I get it," she nodded. "You...want to talk about this right now?"
"About...what?" he asked.
He felt like he kind of knew what she was asking, but at the same time, there were definitely a couple of things they probably should talk about and hadn't yet, so the question was still genuine.
"I mean...about us. About...what things are going to look like for you and me in the coming months, and...the near future, I guess," she replied.
He nodded. "Yeah. We uh...we haven't really had that conversation."
"No. I know. I've...been avoiding it," she admitted.
"I figured. Because so have I," he agreed.
"Well — let's just talk about it then. It doesn't need to be a bad conversation. We already know we're getting fucking married one day, so there's no reason to be down about it. So...come on, let's just do it," she shrugged.
They both started laughing and he nodded. "You know, when you put it that way, it does sound a lot better!"
"Right?" she laughed.
"I guess I'm just...being sensitive about it. And probably embarrassed by the fact that I'm so sensitive about it," he said.
"Sensitive about what?" she asked.
"About the fact that...you're leaving soon," he replied. "I mean...like, really soon. I know it's a better decision for you. Financially, and logically. And I can only imagine how much you miss your friends and family back home. I guess I'm just...sad. I'll...um. I'll just miss you. A lot."
"Baby," she said softly. "I'll miss you too. You definitely have every right to be sad about it. I am too. I...do miss everyone at home, and it'll be nice to make good money again over the summer. But...part of me doesn't want to go either. It's going to be really hard for me. Seriously, so hard. I don't know...what the hell I'm going to do without you. So I just have to remind myself every time I start thinking about it and getting sad, that...it's not even for three months."
"I know. I know. And that's...I think that's why I...feel a little pathetic. I'll be...just fine. It's not that long," he chuckled.
"No, it's not. It'll go fast. But you definitely shouldn't feel pathetic about that. It's normal. Of course you're going to miss me!" she teased.
He chuckled, leaning in for a kiss. She happily kissed him back.
"I am going to. A lot. I'm going to...fucking miss you a lot," he said quietly.
"I'm gonna miss you too," she whispered, clasping their fingers together. "So much, Fitz."
"It's just...New York is such a better place when I know you're here," he said. "When I can just...take the train to come see you, or take a cab from work to come see you."
"I know. Me too," she nodded. "But hey...think of the bright side. Assuming...you get the house in Bronxville...we'll be a little closer together when I come back."
"True. A little bit," he chuckled. "Gives us...a few extra minutes to cuddle after our quickies."
She gasped, patting his arm with a laugh. "Oh my God, you're right! Good call! Make them a little more romantic."
"Uh-huh. Although...I'm hoping we don't have to have...as many of those," he admitted.
"What? Quickies?" she laughed.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "Don't get me wrong...they're great. But hopefully, with a new house, and your...bigger apartment, we can spend more time together again. Not just...coffee dates and...random days after work."
"Yes, please," she nodded. "God that will be so nice, baby. We can actually...spend nights together more frequently."
"Yeah. We can," he smiled. "I know...you prefer the city. I do too, so believe me...I understand. But...you'd always be welcome to...you know. Stay with me. Anytime. I'm going to tell Karen sooner than later, so, she'll know."
"Well thank you, honey. You'd always be welcome to stay with me whenever you want, too. I do love the city. But...I would choose you over the city any day. I hope you know that."
His face softened and he smiled, not meeting her eyes.
"Fitz. Baby. Please tell me you know that," she said again.
He shrugged. "Well. I...I guess I wasn't sure. I just know that living here has been your dream since...ever. And I hope you know I would never ever want to get in the way of that seeing as though...I'm going to be living in the suburbs for the foreseeable future."
She looked at him sadly. "Fitz. Oh my God. No. You are...way more important to me than...where I live. I came to New York with one dream, and one priority. And...believe me, I still have my plans, and I know what I want to do. But...sometimes things work out differently than you planned them to. In a good, or a bad way. And in my situation, things happened differently in a very positive way. I have...more things on my mind, and more priorities now. You are one of them. You and your adorable daughter. And...it's my fault that you didn't know that. I...should have made that clearer to you. I never want you to feel like I don't prioritize you."
"Oh my God, Olivia — no. Not at all. I don't...I don't feel that way. You have nothing to apologize for. I guess...this is just something else we hadn't talked about, so...I just wasn't sure about it. That's all," he assured her.
"Yeah. I know. I suppose we've been...staying away from the harder conversations lately," she admitted.
"In our defense...we've kind of been dealing with other things," he chuckled.
"True," she agreed with a laugh. "We haven't gotten a break yet."
"No. Not at all," he shook his head.
"But...if we're on tough subjects right now, let's just...let's just get them out of the way."
He widened his eyes and nodded.
"Well. If I'm being honest — the living situation is easy. I don't care where you live. Or — wait, no. That sounded...no. I mean...I care. I want to...live together at some point," he stuttered, before rolling his eyes at himself,
She was smiling at his clear nervousness.
"Whenever...or you know, if you...want to live with me eventually. I don't...want you to feel like you have to in the near future or anything like that. I just want you to know...that you could. If...if you wanted."
She giggled and nodded. "Thank you, Fitz. I very much appreciate that. Obviously...I have an apartment next year. But that doesn't mean...I have to live there the year after that."
"Well, and we don't...you don't have to decide right now. You should just focus on...school, and enjoy next year living in the city. It really is...the best. So if you want to live here throughout college, you should. There's...nothing better, take it from me. Karen and I will be moving here eventually anyway. She already kind of told me she'd like that, so. Even if you want to stay in the city for a while...we'd meet you here at some point."
"Aww, I love that she wants to be here!" Olivia exclaimed.
"She really does. We even mentioned...moving here when she got to high school. And...as much as I hate the thought of it...that's not that far away. She'll be in sixth grade already next year. So...depending on where she wants to go to high school I guess...it might not be very long."
"That would be...amazing," Olivia said.
"Yeah. I think so too," he agreed. "But. You and I have plenty of time to...talk about that. If you're in New York period — I'm happy, doesn't matter where. What I'm more concerned about right now is...your family."
She sighed and winced.
"Yeah. So am I, Fitz. I...I don't want to make you more anxious about it, and that's been...part of the reason I haven't wanted to bring it up. But...it scares me a little bit."
"I know. I...figured it did. Don't worry about me, though. I...definitely don't want you to worry about me. I want to help you in any way that I can. That's...that's my main concern. Because...I don't know your family. But I do have an idea what they will think."
"Yeah. I think...it's just harder because my mom doesn't know you. She doesn't know...anything about you. Well...except for the fact that...you're hot," Olivia admitted.
"Oh...God," he chuckled, face getting red.
Olivia giggled at him, before continuing.
"But...with your mom. She knew me. She'd met me, she'd seen us together. She may have had...certain thoughts, and concerns, sure, but...she at least was able to see things with her own eyes. My mom is just in...the complete dark. So I'm just a little worried about how she'll take it, because...I know exactly where her mind is going to go. I'm going to have to be careful about how I tell her, and make sure she understands the situation. I don't want her to...paint a bad picture in her head."
"She will," Fitz nodded. "I don't want to be negative. But...she just will. I know exactly where her mind is going to go, too. It's where mine would go, if I were in her position. I would not think highly of me i...I were her."
"Oh, baby. Don't...please don't say that," she shook her head.
"I know. I'm sorry, baby. I'm just...being honest. I know myself. You know me. My mother knows me. But like you said...your mother does not know me. She doesn't know...who I am. From her perspective on the other side of the country...I'm just some older guy who has...absolutely no business being with you. She doesn't know I'm...fucking in love with you. Or that...if there's such thing as soulmates...you're mine. And if she decides she wants to get to know me...it's going to take her time to see all that. It's going to take her time to understand."
"Yeah, I know. I know it will take time," Olivia nodded. "That's why...I think it's best if I bring it up this summer, when I'm home. I definitely don't need to continue to hide it, because that's not going to do me any good, and I want to tell her in person. Uncle Frankie too. So...I guess I just figured I would get it over with this summer."
"Yeah. That makes sense. How about...Frankie? I know...he's been a big part of your life. How will he take it?" Fitz asked.
"Honestly, I think he will take it better than my mom," Olivia admitted.
"Really?" Fitz asked.
"Mhm. He's always been...a 'follow your dreams' guy. Not that my mom hasn't been, obviously — or else I probably wouldn't be here in New York right now. My mom isn't...the strictest mom out there or anything. But...he's just a little more laid back than she is. He'll definitely have questions. He'll want to make sure I'm safe, and that I've thought things through. But he's very...go with the flow. You know what — he's very much like your mom."
"Ahh, got it. I bet he doesn't talk as much though," he chuckled.
Olivia giggled. "No. Definitely not. He's actually...kind of a man of few words. Like you. I think...you and him would really get along, honestly."
"Well, I would love to meet him someday. And I would love to meet your mother too. Even if...they hate me when that day comes."
"Me too," Olivia smiled. "I'm excited for the day that...they can start to get to know you. Whenever that may be. I just know that...regardless of how ugly it might be to start...they'll love you, just like I do. Well. I mean...not just like I do. That would be...weird. But...you know what I mean."
"I do," he chuckled. "And...you know who else I'd really enjoy meeting?"
"Who?"
"Shawn," he said.
"Ahh! Oh my God, yes. Yes. Shawn is dying to meet you," Olivia nodded.
"She seems very funny," he laughed.
"Yes. She is. She's...hilarious," Olivia replied. "You know...one day, she wants to move here too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. We always...joked about having a tiny apartment here together one day. That's...probably not going to happen, but I have no doubt she'll move here after college. She just wants to get out of Dakota, and she always liked the aspect of living in a big city too. And knowing how insanely in love Marcus is with her, he'll probably come with her."
"Aw, that's nice. You'd love that," Fitz smiled.
"Yeah. I really would. Having you, Karen, all my friends here, and my best friend from home in this city? That's like...a dream come true," she admitted.
"I bet. Where is she going to college?" he asked.
"UND," she said. "Sorry. University of North Dakota, if you didn't know."
"Thanks for clarifying, I figured," he chuckled.
"Yeah. It's in our home city, so she's just going to save money and live at home. Which...she's dreading. But...saving the money will be worth it. She'll just be even more ready to get the hell out of there after college," Olivia said.
"Yeah I could imagine," he nodded. "Well, you both are very smart with your finances. Saving money...living at home for a bit. That's a good move. It really is, even though I know it gets old. So...if you're in a position to go home every summer while you're in school, I would completely understand if that's what you want to do."
"Thank you, baby," she said, cupping his cheek with her hand. "But...I think this is going to be the only summer I go home. I'll make a lot of money, and I'll find a job during the school year. And then hopefully, an internship next summer. Mine and Greta's new apartment lease in August is for 12 months, so if I'm paying for it next summer, you better believe I'm living there."
"Oh, that's true," Fitz nodded with a smile. "I didn't know it was the full 12 months. That makes me happy."
"Me too," Olivia nodded. "So essentially what I'm saying is...after this summer, I will be living in New York. For good."
He smirked and pumped his fist in the air, which had her giggling.
"That's all I need," he said.
"Right. Now look at us go. Look at all the difficult conversations we just had," she said.
"Yeah. Wasn't so bad. Probably helped that...you've been naked this entire time," he said, nodding at her body.
She burst into laughter. "Yeah, I'm...I'm kind of getting cold, honestly."
"Well, we can't have that. Should we get ready? You hungry?"
"I am," she nodded. "You took a lot out of me, I need sustenance."
"Yeah, so do I," he chuckled. "I don't think I ruined my appetite — I...worked one up."
"Well let's go then, my smiley," she said, leaning in to peck his nose quickly.
He smiled to himself as she got out of bed, revealing her beautiful backside to him.
"By the way. There are such things as soulmates," Olivia said, turning around.
"You think?" he asked.
"I know," she nodded.
"How?"
"'Cause I'm staring right at mine," she said.
His smile brightened and he chuckled cutely. "Aww. Livvie. You're so cute."
"Thank you!"
Part 2 is already posted and ready for you!