A/N okay so hey, at least I only went ONE month without an update instead of two! Things are heating up with three little words.
His feet drag through their apartment building as he tries to beat the sun home to catch a few hours of sleep. It's been over 24 hours of nonstop work and thirty minute naps in the cribs. Their perp was in the wind and little Abigail was still missing. Cases like these always made him sick to his stomach. Too many children gone missing that look like his Katie, and Ophelia to him now too. There has not been a time yet that Olivia has witnessed the effects of these cases on him. Tonight would break that streak.
His key turned slowly as he entered his apartment and it almost breaks him even- in the best way possible, when he walks in. Olivia and the girls huddled together on the couch while the tv lit up the living room, the volume on low. Katie is asleep on her chest, while Opie is snuggled into her between the couch and Olivia. It's completely and utterly perfect.
This is different from many times before. The apartment was usually empty with Katie safe at his mothers place. Yet now he gets to take a break from the madness and come home to this.
He took the girls one by one carefully into Katie's room, and with an extra blanket tucked around them, a kiss to the forehead, they were successfully tucked in to bed. He knows the girls must have wiped Olivia out when his movements hadn't made her move an inch.
She looks the most peaceful he's seen her in weeks. Between the hours of work getting longer for her lately, and David giving her a hard time about meeting the new man in her life; exhaustion had been painted into her face.
"Liv," he says softly and kneels beside her on the couch to gently rub her head. She stirs only the slightest and he gives her shoulder a squeeze. That helps and her eyes flutter open, blinking rapidly until her vision clears.
"Hi," she croaks and the laziest smile spreads across her face. Her hand reaches for his help to sit up and she swings her legs over. She's a few inches above him now and runs her hands around the structure of his face, almost like she's making sure he's here for real.
"You home for good this weekend?"
"Just came home to see you three and sleep until the morning," he sighs and curses to himself when he sees her disappointment. "I'm sorry-"
"No, don't be. You're saving New York right now," she pulls him in for a hug and he scoots on his knees to move in closer. He inhaled the familiar scent of her. A mix of vanilla and the shampoo she uses.
"Something like that," she feels him smile faintly against her and she pulls back to finally kiss him. Olivia caressed his face and her nose scrunched when she felt the stubble he'd grown the last few days.
"I will shave in the morning," he steals another kiss before grabbing her hand to stand up with him. "Let's go to bed."
…
It's quiet.
He's showered and shaved, and by the time he had come to bed, Olivia had already fallen back asleep. Her back is nestled against his chest, his hand rests against the softness of her belly underneath the hoodie of his that she wore, she lost the sweatpants, leaving her in only a pair of cheeky boy shorts. His chin rests lightly against the top of her head, and he listens to the soft breaths she takes. In and out. Hoping if he focused on the steady pattern of her, he would be able to find sleep too.
"Can't sleep?" She croaked. Reading his mind.
"I'm exhausted but my mind just won't shut off," each word he says blows against the crown of her head and she turns on her back to get a good look at him.
"I'm sorry El," she reaches up to rub the tips of her fingers along the scruff on his cheek. He can't help the smile that creeps up on his face when the nickname leaves her lips. "What?" her eyebrows crash against one another.
"Nothin', I just never heard you ever call me that," a low sexy chuckle rumbles throughout his chest and it makes her eyes roll. She was trying to be sincere and show her concern and here he goes zoning in on one single word.
"Okay well, you won't be hearing that leave my mouth again," she pushed against his chest, barely moving him in the process.
"No. I like it," he grabbed ahold of her hand that's against his chest and brought the back of it to his lips. "El and Liv. Boyfriend and girlfriend," he's caged her in now with his head resting in the palm of his hand and the other resting at the other side of her body. His lips find hers in the darkness that is only illuminated by the moon and city lights. "I like the sound of that," he whispers against her lips, touching them everytime he talks.
"Who says you're my boyfriend?" She plays coy and wraps her arms loosely around his neck to bring his body halfway on top of her.
"Considering I'm the only one inside you damn near every night and there's a section of my closet being taken over by scrubs and dresses; I would think it's safe to say you're my girlfriend," he never gives her a moment to protest before he finds solace in her mouth again. It's a lazy, time to waste, and nowhere to be kiss that wakes her body back up. A shiver shakes down her spine when he pulls her right leg over until she's straddling his body.
"I don't think this would be considered sleeping," she says between kisses and presses until her breasts are against his chest. His hands travel across the thickness of his hoodie, down to the roundness of her ass and palm each side, squeezing and kneading as the flesh pours over his hands. Her hips move in waves over the bulge that's growing in his briefs. The thinnest of fabrics separate them from both from getting exactly that they need and he planned to get rid of them both soon.
Sleep can wait.
Their clothes are strewn around the room, the ache to feel the heat of one another's skin overcoming them both. He kissed with urgency, his dick poking at her entrance, needing to feel the way her body stretched for him each time he sank into her. Her hips dropped to grind against him, her sex sliding against his shaft in the process. All sense is lost when he thrusts to try for any relief and a cry escapes her.
"Need you," he grunts between kisses and grabs ahold of her ass again to get her to slide against him one more time.
Olivia pulled back to sit straight up and onto her knees so she could get a hold of his dick and line him up with her entrance. She's incredibly slick between her legs. It takes two tries before he inches into her. He held her hips and guided her down slowly. The pinching sensation of him filling her again is still there from a few nights ago when he had taken her early in the morning before work. The pain feels good. The only kind that can be replaced by him fucking her.
"So full," she breathes out when their hips connect again. Her hands fly out to flatten against his chest and he pulls back into the mattress to fill her all over again. Olivia had every intention of being in control when she straddled him, but he feels just too fucking good. Power always feels good, but having him dominate her feels even better.
His hips drill up into her and she meets him for each thrust. Her full breast bouncing each time he fucks her. That's one of his favorite parts about her. His favorite part to touch, to kiss, and lick. At least he thinks for now. Because then there's her curvy hips and soft belly and lips. There's no way in hell he could only pick one.
"You're so fucking perfect. You know that?" He freed one hand to reach up and squeeze her breast in his hand. Her head falls forward and the wispy ends of her hair frame around his face. It creates a wall around them. Her browns locked in on his blues. Barely breaking contact as she bites on her lip to keep her moans to a minimum. He feels amazing and she thinks she is going to come if his dick keeps hitting her clit. He's at the perfect spot within her at this angle. It makes her wish she could take him even deeper.
"I'm so close. Don't stop," she whines. He reaches to hold onto both her hips again and knocks into her faster, harder, sending her body up each time. Her sex is dripping down his dick as pumps into her fiercely. Olivia grabbed onto the edge of the headboard as she (quite literally) hangs on for dear life when her climax tears through her. Her skin tingles and goes numb as her eyes slam shut, riding through the burning in her belly.
Elliot doesn't stop as he chases his own release and follows up quickly behind her. Barely giving her enough time to recover from her own as he empties inside of her. Her body collapsed on top of him. Her face buried inside of his neck. Both of them catching their breaths , covered in a sheen of sweat and sex.
"How come you haven't been on top before? I love watching you come from down here," he mumbled into her hair. His hands run lazily over her bare back as their breathing evens out. She's limp in his arms, exhaustion taking over- sleep is finally sounding good to him too.
"I don't think there's anything sexy about baby weight I can't shake, and breasts that my daughter sucked the life out of for a year, being on top," she rolls off of him, disconnecting them from each other and lays on her back.
"Shut up. You're beautiful. I'm obsessed with everything about you," he turned on his side and leaned in to kiss her. "I can't get enough of you," he kissed her again and suckled her bottom lip. His tongue dipped into her mouth. His hand reached to hold the weight of her breast in the palm of his hand.
"Mmm," she hums. "While I appreciate and love you for that- I need sleep," she laughs a bit when she pulls away. "And so do you," she kissed him goodnight and turned on her side so his body cradled her. He pulled the comforter over them both and kissed her shoulder before closing his eyes, and finally catching a few hours of sleep before the search for Abigail began again.
…
It felt like just as soon as she had got him home, it was time for him to return to being Captain at the 1-6. The sun had barely broken into the sky before his cell phone had been ringing with a call that they had got a hit on DNA in the system. He was showered, dressed, and out the door in ten minutes. With a kiss to her lips and promise to be home at least by Sunday morning he was out the door already with a black coffee in hand and his gun clipped to his waist.
It would just be Olivia and the girls today. Their first full day as a trio and she figures they can take full advantage of this girl time. She enjoys spending time with Katie just as much as Ophelia does and it makes her heart flip just a few times thinking about how much more frequent it may be like this.
"Livia?" Katie asks from across the island where she sits with Ophelia and a stack of pancakes.
"Hm?" Olivia leaned against the counter sipping on her cup of coffee in an attempt to re-energize for the day.
"Are you and daddy gonna get married so Ophelia can be my real sister?" She almost choked on her coffee, managing to force the liquid down her throat.
"I would…love to be married to your daddy, but marriage takes time honey. We love each other very much but we have to be patient," she almost laughs out loud. There was not any point she thought she would be confessing her love for Elliot to Katie and Ophelia, before she ever got the chance to tell him herself.
"And then you'll be my mommy?"
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"I guess I would be more like a bonus mommy," she comes up with an answer on the spot. Having Ophelia ask a million questions a day has given her good practice. This will be a fun conversation to have with Elliot later.
"A bonus mommy?"
"Yes baby like a second mommy if you're okay with that one day in the future. Even though your mama is up in heaven, I would never want to take her place."
It's clear that Katie's confusion has subsided and Ophelia appears to be more than happy to share her mother. A part of Olivia is relieved to see a glimpse of what their future could be. The girls are already so eager to be sisters already, and have their parents committed to each other under oath. It makes those short anxious breaths of hers even out.
"How about you two go bundle up and we'll go to the park?" It's getting chilly out as fall approaches but an hour at the park wouldn't hurt.
They're quick to hop down from the kitchen island and speed off to Katie's room to find a jacket and boots. Olivia worked on getting the kitchen cleaned up a bit before they left. Just as she loaded up the dishwasher the lock on the front door had turned and there was no way Elliot was already back home.
"Elliot?" She called out and came around the corner to the short hallway only to be met with Bernie.
"Hi dear," she is all smiles and the perfect amount of quirky and elegant in her cashmere turtleneck and black pants she wore. It surprises Olivia when she's enveloped by Bernie and pulled into a hug. She's warm and feels like the motherly force she had been missing.
"Bernie, it's so good to see you," she pulled away.
"Elliot gave me a phone call and let me know you all were having a girls day since he's tied up with work. I thought maybe we can make it a girls day on me. We can spoil the girls a little today."
"Oh no Bernie, you don't need to do that," they take a seat on the sofa.
"I want to and I am," she's not taking no for an answer and Olivia learned the moment she met Bernie, that fighting against her was no use.
"Grandma!" Both girls emerge from the hallway and sprint into her arms. She kisses them both on the forehead and there's a part of Olivia that can't quite describe how much it affects her to see her daughter be so loved.
"My beautiful girls," she brushes a curl away from Ophelia's face. "I heard we're having a girls day?"
"Yes! Can you come too?"
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
…
The girls are tucked into bed and Elliot's texted her that he will be home late tonight once he finishes up the last of his paperwork. They found Abigail alive. She's grateful for the victory.
Bernie is still here with her on the terrace in front of a fire, each of them nursing a glass of wine. They had a fantastic day together. It made her a little nervous to spend time together without Elliot around as a buffer. Today could not have gone any better though, she thinks.
She wishes there were another word to describe how much she loved the love Bernie had for her daughter. It was never a question if she would be treated just the same as her flesh and blood. Bernie loved her little girl the moment she met her, and for once Olivia felt like she had given her daughter someone from her side.
David had family to give their daughter; grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins to play with at family events. But Olivia? It was just her. Always. And she's grateful that has always been enough for Ophelia even after the divorce. Although her relationship with Bernie is fresh, she knows this will be long lasting. Oliva had been able to gift her daughter a little bit more from her side.
"Thank you for today. It was a nice distraction to get out of the house."
"It used to drive me mad knowing he was out there with only God knows what kind of criminals. I was terrified of getting that knock on the door from the police telling me my son had died. Then I realized, Olivia, he's got an entire squad protecting him the way he does for them. Elliot is damned good at his job. I had to learn to trust him."
This is a moment she realizes Bernie could tell her the sky was red and she would trust her word for it.
"And plus, it helps that he loves the hell out of you and Ophelia," she adds. It makes Olivia's cheeks warm. He's been talking to his mother about her. She guesses they have both now made a confession to other people about love. "He's got all the more reason to fight like hell and stay safe when he's gone," she feels wetness on her cheeks. Bernie grabbed a hold of her hand and gave it a firm squeeze only to loosen her grip a little to still hold on comfortably. Olivia is not an overly emotional person. She thinks she might have cried only for a few days after David had told her he no longer wanted to be married to her. It's the presence in her life that is Bernie that moves her so deeply. The motherly force she had been praying for her entire life.
"God, I'm sorry. I don't usually cry like this," she shakes her head and chuckles lightly, using the sleeve of her sweater to dab her face. "I just appreciate you so much. I didn't have this growing up," she motions between them.
"I'm here for you, Olivia," she looks into her deeply with those blue eyes similar to her sons. "I can tell there's something there that is making it hard for you to trust. Maybe it started with your mama or maybe it was David, I want you to know everything we talk about stays between us. No matter what happens between you and Elliot, I'm here for you too," she brings her in for a hug; the wine glasses be damned. Bernie was not a big woman. She was short and slender but still able to encase Olivia in a hug that warmed her from head to toe.
"I needed to hear that," she mumbled into her shoulder. "Thank you for everything," Bernie kissed her temple and squeezed her one more time before pulling away. "I am grateful everyday that Elliot was a cocky son of a bitch at parent pickup-"
"Me too," Elliot stood in the arch of the double glass doors of the terrace. He is cleanly shaved and dressed in gray slacks and a baby blue button down. His badge and gun are still clipped to each side of his hips. She wishes she could jump him right now.
"Hi honey," Bernie greets him.
"Hi mama," he shuffled his way over to her and kissed her cheek. "Hi," he moves over closer to Olivia and steals a quick kiss from her lips.
"Elliot," she scolds him for the PDA in front of his mother.
"Oh please, it's nothing I haven't seen or done before," she waves her off and stands with her glass of wine. "I'm glad you're home. I will give you two some time alone. Olivia, we will put those apples we found today to good use and make a pie tomorrow?"
"You bet," and with that she is off to the guest room next to Katie and Ophelia.
"You're home earlier than I expected," he takes a seat next to her and steals her wine glass out of her hands to take a sip.
"I was able to push off some things until Monday morning. I missed my girls," he shifts so his back is against the arm of the patio sofa. "What were you and mama out here talking about?" she moves so her back is flush with his chest. His free hand wraps around to her waist and joins her hand that rests on her belly.
"Oh you know, just girl stuff," her head falls back so she can get a good look at him when she smirks.
"None of my business. Got it," he caught on quickly. "I'm happy you two are spending time together," his lips find her temple and brush against her skin. "If you guys are making apple pie tomorrow, that means she's teaching you one of her recipes," she can feel his smile forming against her.
She hummed with contentment; remembering a few weeks ago when Bernie had told her recipes were for family only. It hadn't even occurred to her that tomorrow she would be sharing one with her.
"I hadn't even thought about that," her smile matched his.
"I think it's safe to say mama likes you a lot."
"Bernie's been nothing short of amazing to me and to Ophelia," she toyed with his fingers. "I wish I had a family for you to meet," then she thought about what exactly she would have had to offer. A drunk for a mother and a rapist for a father. "Or better yet, probably not," a dry laugh escapes her and he pulls her closer to him.
"The girls asked me if we were getting married so they could be sisters, and I would be Katie's mommy now too," she changed the subject from one extreme to another, anything to leave another conversation about her childhood.
"Oh," he's taken aback just as much as she was this morning. "What did you tell her?"
"I'd love to marry you one day; that I would be her bonus mommy," his lips are back at her temple when she speaks. He knew how he would answer it but he needed to know just how much those words alarmed her. He's glad to know they didn't.
"A bonus mommy? I like that," he grins. "I can't wait to marry you," she's quiet for a moment. Making sure that what she heard was right. "I would marry you right now if I could," and her heart feels like it's about to beat right out of her chest.
"Don't say that," she sits up and stands so she can straddle his waist. If they're going to talk like this she needs to see his eyes. "Don't say that unless you really mean it," he smirks like she's just said the silliest thing ever.
"Olivia," he holds her hips and pulls her closer so her hands wrap around his shoulders. "I love you," those three words have finally left his lips. "I'll spend every day proving that to you," he holds both sides of her face and brings her lips that taste salty. She hadn't even realized she had started crying.
"I love you too," she almost whispers and pulls him in to hug him close. Her face is buried into his shoulder and his arms wrap around her middle. It feels good to just be held and given words of affirmation.
A few parts of her are still healing from her divorce from David. She likes to think at one point they were in love with one another. That when they promised each other forever, they meant it (to some extent). She thinks now maybe forever meant being the best parents they could be to their child as long as they both shall live. Granted they have a lot to work on, but they're doing it.
And now Elliot is helping heal that part of her that needed to realize she deserved to be loved.
"I've wanted to say that for a while now," he confessed.
"Me too. I think we were both just a little scared," she lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were a little glossy too and she will always appreciate his vulnerability. "So do we elope to Vegas now or what?" That makes him chuckle and so does she.
"And have Elvis marry us?" That makes her laugh even more. "No, I wanna marry you in front of everyone. Write some vows that get the entire chapel moved to tears because they wish they had a love like ours."
"You are quite the poet Elliot Stabler."
"The words come easy when I'm looking at you."
And those words came and went before he carried her back to his bedroom and let his hands do all the talking for him.
And next up David meets Elliot.
