Merry Christmas! ;D

Chapter 1-The Morning After

Elliot opens his eyes and takes in his unfamiliar surroundings in the pale morning light. The sun is just beginning to peak over the horizon, announcing the start to a brand-new day. He sits up slowly and the world swirls around him. "Shit," he grumbles as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. His head is pounding. He continues to look around, trying to figure where he could possibly be. He spots the naked back of an unknown figure, the smell of her still intoxicating his senses. His breath hitches and his heart pounds in his chest. The long dark brown hair mixed with streaks of blonde. The olive toned skin. Even without seeing her face he'd recognize her anywhere.

"Olivia."

He breathes her name like a curse.

He looks back at himself. His shirt is missing. He closes his eyes and says a silent prayer as he pushes away the white down comforter.

"Fuck."

He's naked.

He's naked in his partner's bed and he doesn't know how he got that way. Slowly and carefully he slides from the bed and begins to search for his clothes. He spots a trail of shirts and jeans - his and hers - that leads back towards her bedroom door. He spots his sneakers and hers. Followed by their jeans. Her brassiere then his briefs and finally her panties lay at her bedside. As he bends down to retrieve his underwear, flashes of the night before plague his mind.

His face between her thighs.

Her eyes dark with lust and desire.

Her lips swollen from his kiss.

His body entering hers.

He shakes the images from his head and watches her face closely as he retrieves the item. She sleeps peacefully and undisturbed. He picks up his jeans and shoes then sneaks out of her bedroom. He finds his shirt in the doorway and his jacket by her front door. He pauses there to pull on his clothes then slips out as quietly as possible. He pulls his phone from his pocket.

4 Missed Calls.

His wife is going to kill him.

xXx

Thank God for small favors, because it is only by His saving grace that Elliot was able to make it through this day. Olivia had thankfully called out sick, which saved him an awkward day of having to pretend that he didn't cheat on his wife by sleeping with his partner and then made it worse by sneaking out her bed this morning.

His wife.

He'd called Kathy on the cab ride back to the station and avoided his driver's judgmental stare as he lied and explained that he had fallen asleep in the crib while intending to take a quick nap and inadvertently slept through the night. He'd done it before. So she'd chuckled and called him hopeless and he promised to be home for dinner. He is in the process of walking to his car when Olivia emerges from her own and stops him.

"Elliot."

"I can't do this right now Liv, I promised Kathy I'd be home by six."

"So we're just not going to talk about last night? How long do you think you can avoid me?"

He pauses. He's avoided her calls and her texts all day. They're going to have to talk about this at some point. There's no time like the present. "I can give you five minutes."

He climbs into the passenger side of her car as she slips into the driver's side. Neither says a word unsure where to start. He doesn't know what to say to her. He doesn't know how to explain his actions.

"What are we going to do?" she asks.

"I don't know," he shakes his head. "but it can't happen again."

"You think I want it to? Elliot, you're married."

"I know."

"What is Kathy going to say?"

"Kathy's not going to know."

"You're not going to tell her?"

"Why would I tell her?"

"I don't know. I'm just- I've never been in this situation before!" she yells, exasperated.

"Neither have I!" he yells back. "Look, nobody needs to know what happened."

She nods in agreement. "You're right. It was a drunken mistake. Nobody needs to know. What about work?"

"We act like everything's normal. Nobody will be none the wiser."

"Ok. So we have a plan."

"We have a plan."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you sneak out like that this morning? We could have talked this out before you left."

"I know, but…I didn't know what to do. I was afraid that…I was afraid…"

"You were afraid I would want more."

"Yes."

"I know you're married, Elliot, and I would never expect you to leave your wife. I know how much your family means to you. I'm not a homewrecker."

"I know."

"Then can you look at me?" For the first time since he sat in her car he turns his gaze to look at her and he sees the woman he saw last night. She wasn't Olivia Benson his partner. She was Olivia Benson the woman. Sexy. Available. His. "Do you really believe we can still work together, because if not, I'll walk in to Cragen's office and put in for a transfer tomorrow."

"No!" he protests. "Olivia, I just got you back. You're my partner. I don't want to lose you again."

Since Gitano, their partnership has been a series of ups and downs. Computer crimes. Undercover stings with the FBI. She'd left him twice and it made him realize how much he needed her. No one else understood him like she did. No one would put up with his mood swings. No one knew how to calm him. No one cared about him the way she did. He needed her to be his partner.

He needed her.

"Then treat me like your partner. Nothing more. Nothing less. Deal?"

"Deal."

They hold each other's gaze for a moment, the air electric between.

"G'nitght," he says and steps out her car to head home to his wife.

Thanks for reading!