The bell chimed as the pair walked into the small diner together.
It hadn't changed much since the two detectives once had made plans to get lunch there weekly.
"God, I am hungry." Elliot exhaled as the red cushion moved under his weight.
"Thank you for stating the obvious Detective Stabler." Olivia let the words leave her mind and noticed how they seemed to cut her partner a little deeper than intended.
He shot her a look her partner had only seen when Elliot was truly out of patience. She knew she was on thin ice, and offered him a small smile as an act of solace.
Her brows furrowed thinking about the fragile state her ex-partner was in, not knowing how to navigate it. Nevermind how to navigate the odd, unknown phase of him being in her life again. It always brought up painful emotions that she'd rather forget then ever address.
The squeaky voice of the waitress brought Olivia out of her thoughts and into the present.
"I'll take a reuben on rye, home fries and a black coffee please." Elliot stated his order dryly, his throat hoarse from the lack of sleep evident in the bags under his eyes.
Olivia rubbed her hands down her thighs and exhaled, not exactly ready with her order.
"I will have a coffee, two creams and two sugars. And french toast. Please." She smiled at the young woman and then back at Elliot.
He reached over and took Olivia's hand into his.
Her eyes widened and her heart started to race.
They didn't do this. Intentional physical contact was almost an unspoken off limits for them.
"I need to talk with you about something important Liv, something that has been on my mind since I left 16." His voice was low and his eyes told her that this was serious.
"Okay. I'm listening."
Her eyes met with his, trying to read those pools of blue for any sign of how he was feeling.
She was still able to see a glimpse of emotion in them, something that would never be gone completely no matter how long they were apart.
"Ever since I left the Special Victims Unit, I haven't been myself. Everything felt so off and like a vital piece of me was missing."
Olivia's eyebrows furrowed together slightly, trying to figure out where this was heading.
"I think that is normal for any dedicated cop to feel. You dedicate every living, breathing moment to the job."
Elliot exhaled.
"That's what I thought too, at first. I gave it time, but with each passing month that void kept growing bigger and bigger."
Olivia held her breath for a moment, trying to read his eyes for some sort of hint as to where this was going.
Then, it hit her.
She knew that feeling exactly. It was the same emptiness and longing she felt when he left.
Her stomach felt like butterflies had been trying to find their way out and her appetite went out the window.
"It was me." She said softly.
"It always has been." He smiled sincerely back at her, squeezing her hand.
A/N: Hello all! I apologize for such a long overdo update. I've been thinking over ending this series, because it has felt so jumbled and poorly put together. I want to start something new. A fresh story I can plan well and really put my all into. I will be posting the first chapter to a new story sometime before this year is over, and if you have any suggestions please comment! Thank you all for your support on this story.