A/N: Hey everyone! This one shot was requested for LivBensonStabler's birthday. Happy birthday Maddy! I hope this makes you laugh, and I hope you have a fabulous day! This is set in season one, and Elliot and Olivia are both single. Enjoy!

"El, I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt that bad."

"Well, it will tomorrow if you don't put ice on it."

"Will you stop mothering me? I already have a mother."

"Who you're having lunch with tomorrow, right? What is she gonna say about the bruise on your jaw?"

"It's not that noticeable. He didn't hit me that hard."

"Will you please stop being stubborn and take the ice pack?"

"Fine."

If there were a poster child for refusing medical attention and not going to the doctor unless someone dragged her there, it would be Olivia Benson. She had come to work with a toothache that she'd refused to get checked because she hated the dentist. Elliot hoped she would stop protesting after a suspect's right hook made it worse, but after working with her for a year he should know better. She snatched the ice pack from his hand and rolled her eyes at his overprotective hovering. It did feel nice to be cared for, but he still wasn't going to convince her to go to the dentist. After holding it on her face for five minutes she handed it back to him.

"Thanks. It's fine now."

"Liv-"

"We need to get back to work."

"Are you sure you don't at least want some Tylenol?"

"I'm sure. Hand me the file." The look on her face told him he needed to drop it. The look he gave her told her he would for now, but he wasn't above dragging her to the dentist's office because he was just as stubborn as she was.

To his credit, he did drop it,

for about five hours.

X

They were sitting on her couch with Chinese takeout and beer like they usually did on Friday nights if they didn't have to stay at the precinct. They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Elliot saw Olivia grimace and put her hand on her jaw.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I just keep forgetting not to eat on that side."

"You know there is a solution to that. If you-"

"El, for the last time I don't need to go to the dentist. It will be fine in a couple of days. It just flares up a couple of times a year."

"A couple of times a year? Olivia, how long has this been going on?" She hesitated before responding, knowing he wasn't going to like her answer.

"Since the year I graduated from the academy. It's a wisdom tooth. I didn't feel like going through all the trouble of having it removed if it didn't hurt that much."

"Jesus Liv. It's not healthy-"

"My mother could never afford for me to have surgery. She spent all her money on booze. Plus, it's not like I had much money back then either."

"Ok, so we'll get you an appointment, and I will pay for it."

"Elliot, that's ridiculous. I'm fine. Besides I could never take that much money from you."

"It's not ridiculous, and you're going. Why are you scared to go to the dentist anyway? Does he hit on you or something?" She scoffed.

"Please El, if that were it, it would be him that was scared of me."

"Then why-"

"I just don't like going. I never have. The only things I want near or inside my mouth are coffee and food." And your lips and tongue among other things, her mind added. Elliot nearly choked on his beer, and she didn't know why until he responded.

"My what?" Oh shit, she had said the last part out loud. She hadn't had that much to drink, had she?

"Nothing. Forget it." He smirked and leaned over to whisper in her ear. His voice was deep and husky, and she knew if he kept talking to her like that she was going to need a change of underwear. "I'll tell you what, if you let me take you to my dentist tomorrow, I will put my lips and tongue wherever you want them." She swatted him away, ignoring the fact that her nipples were standing at attention from the anticipation. "Soooo?"

"Fine. If it will make you stop worrying, I'll go." She rolled her eyes at his satisfied grin and threw an egg roll at him.

"Thanks!" He caught it in his mouth, and she smiled and shook her head. He could be such a goofball sometimes, and she loved it even though she'd never admit it.

Or would she?

X

At the insistence of her partner and his dentist, Olivia begrudgingly agreed to have the surgery. As expected, she fought both of them about needing someone to take care of her afterward. She agreed to stay with Elliot on the condition that he did not take more than a week off work, and that once the anesthetic wore off he let her help him around the house. There was no way she was lying in bed for two weeks, and no one was going to make her. She couldn't deny that it was nice to have time to relax, but only for a few days. Then she would be ready to get back to work.

She slept most of the ride home, and Elliot glanced over at her off and on as he drove. He reasoned that he needed to keep an eye on her and make sure she was okay, but also he loved watching her sleep. She was beautiful even with her face swollen and bruised. She was beautiful even though there was gauze in her mouth and drool on her chin. There was something about how her facial features were relaxed as she slept that made it hard to look away.

As cheesy as it sounded, even though she was sitting right next to him, he already missed her voice. He chalked that up to the fact that he had heard it every day for a year and had gotten used to it. She had become such a part of his life that it was normal to feel that way, right? It was totally platonic to miss your co-worker's voice and to think about how beautiful they looked while they slept, right?

Right?

Nah, he couldn't deny it if he tried.

He was in deep.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact date he had fallen in love with her, but it was most likely during the Richard White case. His need to protect her grew exponentially. Not because he thought she couldn't take care of herself, not because he thought she needed his protection, but because the thought of something happening to her terrified him. The thought of her being hurt gripped him with an amount of fear he had felt a few times in his life.

When he realized that, he knew there was no way his feelings were platonic. There was something stronger there, but to act on it would put the job they both loved in jeopardy, so he settled for sneaking glances, harmless flirting, and cold showers.

He pulled into the driveway and was brought out of his musings when he saw her stir.

"Hey sleepyhead, we're home." Technically they were at his home, not their home, but he couldn't help it: the 'we're' slipped out. It felt natural. He got out of the car and went to the passenger side, opening the door. He brushed her hair out of her face gently rousing her from her slumber.

"You have a big nose." He tried to keep from laughing knowing that she was still experiencing the effects of the anesthesia, and this would not be the first odd comment he would hear.

"Oh do I?" He played along and smiled.

"Can I feel it?"

"Sure." A chuckle escaped him this time as she reached forward and tapped his nose.

"It's soft too."

"Thank you. Let's go inside okay."

"Are you gonna carry me? You have big muscles. I bet you're really strong. I like your arms and your chest. You're like a superhero. You could probably lift a car."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I'd probably break my back." He reached in and scooped her up as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're tall too." She commented as they walked into the house. "Don't drop me."

"I won't. I promise." He held her close to his chest as he carried her into his bedroom. "Let's get you to bed."

"Ooh! what are we gonna do there?" He nearly choked on air. Did she just?...

"You are gonna sleep."

"Will you be my pillow?

"I-" She wrapped her arms around his torso as he set her down, and snuggled into his chest.

"This is a nice pillow."

"Alright." This was platonic, right? Holding his best friend in his bed? That could still be considered platonic, couldn't it? After all, the reason he was doing so was a) she requested it and b) it was a good way to keep her elevated. Doctor's orders, right? Right.

He placed a pillow on his chest behind her head and sat up, wrapping his arms around her waist. Again telling himself this was purely for medical reasons.

"Ellll?" Her voice was slurred thanks to the anesthetic making her drowsy and the fact that her face was still half swollen.

"Yes?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" He couldn't help but smile at how childlike she seemed at the moment. She was adorable. Perhaps that would keep unpartnerly thoughts from swirling around in his head.

"Sure you can."

"I always hated Kathy. I wanted you to be married to me and not her. She's ugly." Her boldness rendered him speechless, and he wondered how much she would remember once she was lucid again.

"Let's get you a new piece of gauze, okay." He managed to get out once he could form words again.

He threw the old one in the trash and wiped her mouth gently with a kleenex. Then he wrapped up a new ice pack he had brought into the room from the fridge and held it against the side of her face. The surgeon said to just do so for fifteen minutes at a time to help with swelling. Elliot reasoned that was a logical excuse to keep holding her. Otherwise, he might lose track of time and leave it on for too long or something like that.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep? I'll wake you up when it's time for your pain medicine." He leaned back against the headboard and made sure she was elevated properly and then pulled the blanket up around her to make sure she was comfortable.

"Wait!"

"What's wrong?" His protective instinct kicked in immediately.

"Can you kiss me on the forehead and tell me a bedtime story first?" A forehead kiss seemed innocent enough, so he brushed her hair back and kissed her softly. Then he cleared his throat as he tried to come up with a story.

"Once upon a time…" He chuckled when he looked down and saw that her eyes were already closed. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams." Of all the things she had said in her loopy state the next words melted his heart the most.

"Night, I love you." He was silent for a moment, not knowing how she would feel about her confession when she woke up but decided to take a chance.

"I love you too, Liv." He whispered and smiled when he heard her snore. He tightened his arms around her and realized he had never felt more content.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I also wanted to mention that this idea originally came to me last year after I had a dental procedure done to get rid of a cyst on my jaw. I wanted to write this as a way to cope with anxiety about my own issues, but never got around to it. I will be having my one-year follow up appointment and am hoping the site looks good and that there's no cyst on the other side. Please keep me in your thoughts as it was a very scary time last year, and some good news would be welcome. Other than that this will probably be my last oneshot for a while, but I am planning a Christmas fic and then will get back to working on my multi-chaps. Hope everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season!

Thank you to FragileVixenFic and awildmind for beta reading this for me!