"Hey." Olivia paused the movie they were watching and nudged Barba's thigh with her foot. "You're supposed to be laughing, Barba. That was a funny part. You love that part."

"I know." He sighed, genuinely apologetic. "I'm just having trouble getting out of my head."

She wasn't surprised; it was the whole reason she'd invited herself over after putting Noah to bed and leaving him with Lucy. He'd lost cases before, but this one seemed to be bothering him more than most. She knew he carried not only disappointment in himself, but also the feeling that he had disappointed her, let her down, and no matter what she said he wasn't going to let himself be talked out of that feeling. So along with his anger that a very bad man was going to go free on his watch, it was no wonder that he'd characteristically turned in on himself.

She knew him, and knew that in the morning after some sleep and some distance he'd be able to gain perspective. Until then she wanted to try to draw him out a bit, and she'd hoped an easy evening watching his favourite comedy would at least be able to half-hold his attention. Unfortunately she'd been wrong.

"We can do something else," she offered, sliding closer and laying a supportive arm along the back of the couch behind him. "Something to distract you. Game?"

"Nah."

"We could go out."

"Honestly, I don't think it would get the job done. And I can guarantee I'd be pretty poor company."

"Okay. Wanna get drunk?"

"Yes," he answered immediately and enthusiastically, making her chuckle. "Yes, I absolutely do. But, alas, not as much as I want to avoid going to work with a hangover tomorrow."

"That seems wise," she affirmed. "Hmm." As he watched her expression go from thoughtful to adopting just a hint of self-satisfaction, he was expecting another suggestion which he was prepared to shoot down regardless of what it was. But what happened instead was definitely NOT expected and not something he could have prepared for.

She was kissing him. Properly kissing him. And she kept kissing him until he got over the shock and starting kissing her back.

And then as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Olivia was back on her side of the couch, aiming the remote and hitting 'play'.

It took Barba a good thirty seconds to formulate coherent thought. "Um... Olivia?" Formulating sentences would apparently take longer.

"You're welcome." The hint of self-satisfaction from before had since grown and fully taken over.

There was a very long, sputtering pause before he managed, "What?!"

"You may not be able to focus on the movie, but I'm guessing for the next while at least you won't be thinking about the verdict, either. You'll be too busy contemplating "what the hell just happened" and "what does it all mean". So you're welcome," she concluded smugly.

"Are you - But - " And then he was laughing. What else could he do? "That is the most - Oh, my God! Olivia!"

She refused to engage, just smiling benevolently before turning her attention back to the movie.

As the closing credits rolled she was stretching and on her feet. "Okay, I need to go home and relieve Lucy. You going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for coming over. And I guess thanks for your, uh, rather unconventional tactics."

"So I take it they worked?" Now she could give in and be silly about it. She led him to the entryway where she slid on her shoes and retrieved her purse from the hook under the mirror. "Do you need me to kiss you again before I go?" she teased.

"I think I'll be alright," he told her with a half-embarrassed chuckle.

"Yes, you will be." She stepped into his personal space until they were practically nose to nose, and when she continued he could feel her warm breath against his lips. "Because you're going to fall asleep tonight thinking not about work, but about whether you should have said 'yes'."

Barba swallowed hard, and she gave him a knowing smirk before she stepped away and out the door.

By the time he had tucked himself into bed, he was feeling much less shell-shocked and was thoroughly amused by what had transpired. But he had to hand it to her: when she was right, she was right.