A/N: Hey everyone! Said I'd be back and here I am. You all really have helped me keep going as I deal with unforeseen health effects from COVID. Breathing therapy is no joke. Thank you for checking in and rooting for me. I hope you enjoy this. -Key

Olivia Pope needed to count her days.

As far as Jake was concerned, she'd fucked him over for the last time.

He could remember the first day he'd laid eyes on her. They'd been seated next to each other in Torts. She enticed and ignored him all at the same time. When he'd leaned over and asked her name, she rebuffed him; blown him off without so much a glance. He wasn't used to that. In undergrad, women fawned over him. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't hesitate to wave around his daddy's checkbook or maybe the fact that he was on a short path to a career in politics as the Golden boy; whatever it was, Jake wasn't used to being told no. Especially not in favor of his oftentimes pathetic best friend, Fitzgerald Grant. How Fitz had had two women fawning over him, Jake couldn't fathom.

He could still remember the night she'd embarrassed him in a bar after a tough class. They'd both had one too many drinks and somehow they'd ended up in a booth together. She'd given him all the signals that said she was interested; from the tilt of her chin to the constant leaning in, her hand on his thigh. When he responded in kind, she'd dumped the beer pitcher in his lap and stormed off, leaving Jake confused. Several bar patrons had seen and their chuckles reverberated throughout the room. It was then that Jake vowed revenge.

It'd taken a while for a plan to reveal itself. Olivia became wrapped up in Fitz and Jake's anger grew. Who the fuck did that affirmative-action-pick think she was to deny him? No one ever denied him. That bitch was going to pay. Thankfully the stuck-up Thomas Princess, Mellie, was looking to get even, too, since Fitz only had eyes for Olivia. Mellie was good stock. A good future First Lady and someone who someone as spineless as Fitz deserved.

Nearly a month had gone by since his run-in with Fitz. It was getting harder and harder to lie to Vanessa who was starting to wonder why her calls to Karen were being rejected.

It was fine, though. At least for now. Jake had done some digging into Olivia's background since they'd met. She had mounting law school debt and her father had a budding gambling addiction. All Jake had to do was flash some cash for her to take back the bullshit she'd told Fitz. Jake would get it in writing. Money was always enough to keep them quiet.

They always had a price. Everyone did.

/

The office was empty. Thankfully. It was bordering on ten p.m. Olivia needed to head home herself, but the thought of having to deal with Curtis was enough to keep her glancing over contracts she'd triple checked through. Things with Curtis were…weird. Originally, when he'd walked away, Olivia wanted to make amends almost immediately. He was her constant. They'd been friends long before they were lovers and she feared what it'd be like to be alone; what it'd be like to try and date a stranger. The thought alone terrified her. She groaned at the mere thought of having to break the ice about why she felt the way she felt about certain sexual situations.

Having to say 'Hey, I sometimes have panic attacks in the missionary position because I was assaulted' or 'Hey, I'm not okay with you holding my hands above my head at any point and if I even think I smell alcohol on you, I'll probably throw up' to a virtual stranger just seemed too exhausting.

She hadn't always been so sexually closed off. Before Jake, she'd had a bit of a reputation in undergrad for being a tease. Olivia was a beautiful woman, even as a late teen, young adult, and had enjoyed the attention while younger. A part of her even believed that that's why Jake hurt her. Somehow her reputation had followed her to Yale. It was a reputation she'd wanted to toss away after finding Fitz, who she'd started to see as her second half.

So here she was, alone at her desk, sipping on a Malbec. She slipped off her pumps, letting her tight-clad toes hit the soft carpet. Maybe if she just stayed here all night, she could slip out early in the morning, go home, shower and change. It wouldn't be the first time some slept at work. Hell, Mr. Kiefer had spent several nights on his office couch when his wife found out about the paralegal he'd slept with.

Olivia turned the page on a contract, making a couple of marks before dropping her pen to the desk. It sounded with a dull thud. She grabbed her phone, resting just beyond her wine glass, and opened Spotify. The smooth sounds of Maxwell fluttered through the air.

Fortunate to have you girl

I'm so glad you're in my world

Just as sure as the sky is blue

I bless the day that I found you

She closed her eyes, letting her head rest against the back of her chair, and kicked up her feet on her desk. The music threatened to take her away. Maxwell's soothing voice was like a lullaby for her tired mind.

"Maxwell?"

Olivia's eyes flew open at the sound of the baritone voice to find Fitz standing in her doorway. His tie was loose around his neck, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, and his jacket was tossed over his shoulder. He looked like an old Hollywood movie star. Effortlessly handsome and debonair. The S curl on his forehead gave him a boyish charm. He'd grown up in their years apart and it wasn't fair just how much he still made her heart jump.

The smile was instant. "You said his name right."

Fitz leaned against her door frame. "Been listening to him a lot. Karen loves Bad Habits. Gotta say, a song about an affair isn't something I thought I'd be singing to my daughter to get her to fall asleep, but here we are."

They shared a soft laugh as Olivia straightened in her chair. Her feet dropped to the ground. She was glad Karen hadn't suffered any lasting effects of Olivia's breakdown. "I thought I was alone," she said.

"My sister's in town. She's got Karen. I have a couple of preliminary hearings next week. Needed the hand."

Olivia almost asked why Mellie hadn't stepped in to take care of her daughter, but Olivia knew better. Besides, Karen was better off without Mellie in her life. Even if Olivia hadn't met Natalie, Fitz's sister, formally, something told her that Natalie was a better caregiver for the toddler.

"Would you like a glass of wine before you head home?" Olivia asked. She reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and grabbed the bottle of wine. "There's probably an extra wineglass or even a mug in the kitchen." Why was she inviting him to stay when seconds ago she reveled in being alone, she didn't know.

Fitz looked over his shoulder before stepping foot into the office. "Not a huge fan of wine, but…" he closed her office door. Had it been any other man in the office, Olivia might've found herself panicking, but with him, she didn't. He pulled a white looking stick out of her shirt pocket and held it up. Olivia's eyes widened.

"Mr. Grant, are you asking me to smoke a joint with you?" Olivia asked. The grin on her face suggested someone somewhere was missing a bird. "I haven't smoked since undergrad."

He held it between his fingers and walked further into the office. He tossed his jacket onto the back of the chair opposite hers. "Up for it?"

"Got a lighter?"

/

Maybe it was the weed, maybe it was the wine. Whatever it was, it'd left Olivia's defenses down and had put her on her feet. The clock on her wall told her that it was rapidly closing in on midnight, but neither Olivia nor Fitz seemed to be in any hurry to go anywhere. She was currently trying to show him how to dance to Chicago stepping music. Maya, Olivia's mother, was originally from Chicago and had taught her when she was younger. Usually Olivia was adept at teaching others, but Fitz had two left feet. The weed didn't help either.

"Stop, just stop…" she couldn't stop laughing; he was one rhythmless white boy, "you're so bad at it." Tears brimmed her eyes. Happy tears. Comedic tears.

Fitz wiggled in place, goofily grinning as he danced to everything but the beat. Arms flailing, feet flying. It was bad. So bad in fact, that Olivia waved him off. She was like a traffic controller trying to land a runaway plane. He kept going until Olivia reached for his hands, stumbling over the hem of her slacks. She fell into him, bumping into his chest with hers. He caught her, one hand landing on the small of her back and the other landing at her waist.

Their eyes met and Olivia smiled. She didn't try to scurry away or flee his heated gaze. As cliche as it sounded, his touch set her skin on fire. Every part of her was ready to fall into his gravity. Their chests rose and fell together.

"Fitz…" She didn't know if his name was a whispered plea to let her go or pull her tighter. It shouldn't have been this easy for her to fall back into him. Not after everything and all the years.

"May I kiss you?" he whispered. His voice was warm against the tip of her nose.

Olivia took a deep breath, swallowing hard. She nodded. Fitz drew closer until each exhale was an inhale on her end. Her eyes stayed on his, her lips parting slightly. His lips hovered above hers. All he needed to do was close the gap. All he needed to do…

The sound of a vacuum pushing the office door open snapped them apart. Olivia whipped her head around to find a small, older woman pushing a beat up vacuum. Irma, the cleaning woman. She looked between Olivia and Fitz, her olive skin turning red as she realized what she'd walked in on. "Sorry, I'll come back later." Irma backed out.

Olivia cleared her throat. "You don't have to Irma, we're just…" Hell, she didn't know.

"Leave it to you to know the cleaning staffs' name." Fitz took several small steps back, giving Olivia a somber smile. "I should get home to Karen anyways. Do you need a ride?"

Shit. Home. Her eyes slid towards her desk to her phone. She probably had enough phone calls from Curtis to start a missing person's report. Still, she didn't want to leave. Even if her bubble had been burst. "No. My car's downstairs. I'm going to take a few moments to sober up. Are you okay to drive?"

Fitz nodded. Much like her, she could see the disappointment written on his face. It was better that Irma interrupted. Things were far too complicated and messy to get mixed up with Fitz again. "Do you want me to wait for you? Walk you to your car?"

"Morris will…" Morris was the firm's night security guard. He often watched over Olivia when she spent long nights at the firm.

"Night, Livvie."

"Night."

She needed a cold shower.