Olivia woke up after a night of barely sleeping. She heard her phone ring. She smiled knowing she would hear Alex's voice.
"Aren't you supposed to be doing your cardio at the moment?" Olivia moaned out keeping her eyes closed.
"Ten miles. Already did it." Alex was standing in the weight room of the rink. She was playing ponytail. "But thank you for knowing my schedule."
"So is there a reason you're calling me at the random hour of…" she looked at her alarm clock to say 11am. "Before noon."
"Because you didn't return my text messages and phone calls last night." She took a sip of water, "Are you okay? How did things go with your mom?" Olivia looked at her hand. She flexed her hand to feel the burning sensation with each cut that was trying to scab. She could hear Serena words with each flex. "Olivia?" Alex questioned with the lack of a response.
Olivia tried to hold back her tears while on the phone with Alex. "Oh yeah, last night happened." She sighed out.
Alex didn't like the sound of Olivia being vague. "You're still coming over tonight to go over the pictures? Right?"
"Of course, I wouldn't let you down." Olivia has a history of taking care of people's needs over hers.
"Perfect. I'll see you in a couple hours." Alex smiled as she hung up the phone.
Olivia couldn't help but to smirk at the blonde who was demanding from across town. She looked at her phone to see that she hung up the phone.
Olivia knocked on the front door of the penthouse. She was standing with a backpack with all her camera supplies and laptop. Alex opened the door in a purple workout tank top with a pair of black yoga capris on. Her hair was still in a ponytail. Alex gave Olivia a big smile. She looked at the exhausted Olivia, "You look like crap." She gave an honest greeting.
Olivia partially knew Alex was joking and didn't want to start another fight within twenty-four hours. "I dressed up just for you." She gave a half smile to the blonde.
Alex's heart sank as she could see Olivia not herself. "I'm sorry… I was kidding."
Olivia was still in her battle with her tears. "Alex it's fine." She waved off the topic, "Can I… Come in?"
Alex was too concerned about Olivia to think, "Oh yeah of course." She opened the door further.
Olivia stepped inside of the gigantic apartment. "Your place is amazing." She walked further in, she saw the shelves that held her medals in the living room like Alex said where it was. "Are these all of them?"
Alex took Olivia's bag off her body, and placed it on her shoulder. "No there are some at my parents' and others are at the rink."
"Which one is your favorite?" Olivia saw all the gold medals, two silver and a bronze.
"Probably," Alex pointed at the silver world medal. "This one."
"A silver medal? Why isn't it gold?" Olivia asked, holding back the fact she watched the worlds competition.
"A Russian did a triple/triple/double and I only did a triple/triple." She pulled the medal down. "We both skated a clean program."
"Wasn't it the double axel versus the triple axel in the short program as well." Olivia looked at the blonde.
Alex smirked and shot a look at the brunette. Who's hair was starting to grow out. "That also was an issue too." Alex placed the medal on Olivia's neck. "But I liked this one because it was nice to visit Milan." Olivia held the large medal. Alex quickly pulled Olivia's hand, "What happened?" She asked as wanted to investigate the wrapped hand.
Olivia's cheek blushed as she wasn't ready to talk about her hand "It's nothing." She tried to pull her hand back.
Alex refused to let go of the injured hand. "Can I see it?" She gently examined the white wrap to see if there were any fluids on it.
Olivia wanted to forget her hand, she wanted to forget the previous night with her mother. "Alex." Olivia whispered a plea as her eyes started to watered.
Alex looked at Olivia who was staring at her hand. She watched a tear roll down her cheek. She never saw Olivia cry with their four months of getting to know each other. "Olivia," Alex's jaw dropped and got teary eyed seeing Olivia. Alex didn't know what to do with the condition of her friend. She wiped the tear away from the cheek.
Olivia's gut turned as she felt Alex pulling her in for a hug. She needed to finish the pamphlet for Alex's event. She quickly stepped out of the embrace. "Where can I set up so we can review the pictures?" She deeply exhaled as she tried to put her head in the right spot.
Alex was hurting to see Olivia ignoring her problems to finish a project, "Olivia, we.."
Olivia quickly stopped Alex from going further, "Alex, I'm fine," She smirked at the blonde, "Let's look at your photos, especially with you in those pants."
Alex didn't want to push Olivia, but wanted her to talk to her. "Oh you prefer me in pants over the leotard?" She cleared her throat raising her brow. She walked closer to Olivia.
"Maybe it was the fedora?"
Alex walked past Olivia to the dining room to set up the laptop. They looked through all the pictures of the skaters and hockey players to choose for the brochure. They waited to look at Alex's photos last.
"Why didn't you choose a blue costume this year? Isn't that your signature color?" Olivia asked as she was going through her action shots. She really liked the shot of Alex doing a lay back.
"Olivia Benson. How much do you watch figure skating? You don't sound like, a just an Olympic watcher." Alex was intrigued by the brunette.
"I told you, I followed the sport." Olivia explained. She looked at the pin striped outfit once again. "So how does your mother feel that you changed the music and choreography?"
Alex liked how Olivia captured her, "She doesn't know."
"Really she seemed very bothered that you didn't discuss a costume."
"Yeah, well she has issues that I'm not a kid anymore but her heart is in the right place," Alex explained her complex relationship with her mother.
"But why let her be involved still if she causes you so much stress?" Olivia was curious to see how their mother/daughter relationship worked.
Alex exhaled thinking about her mother, "She's harsh, and overbearing. But she raised me to strived to be the best and not settle for nothing less. And that mentality got me this fair." Alex defended her toxic relationship with her mother.
"Okay I think I like this one." Olivia returned to the layback photo.
Alex shook her head to see the photo. "You can't see my face. What about this one?" Alex clicked over photos to find the picture of her staring at the camera with her legs and arm crossed.
"Okay." It wasn't Olivia's favorite but it's Alex's call.
Alex raised her chin, "Okay then." Olivia sat back in the chair to watch Alex to continue going through the photos, even though she made her decision. Olivia gasped out loud as she put pressure on her hand. Alex looked back at her friend. "Come on." She closed the laptop.
"What?"
Alex stood up putting out her hand. "Come on."
Olivia didn't want to go, but also didn't want to argue after a good time. Olivia placed her unwrapped hand on Alex's hand. "Okay."
Alex escorted Olivia back into the living room. She sat Olivia down on the couch. She walked away for a moment. Olivia looked around the living space to see the Alex touches she knew would be in her place. Alex returned with a tray full of items.
"What is all this."
Alex smiled at Olivia, needing to make her feel better. She sat down next to Liv, "Well this is yours." She gave Olivia a pint of white chocolate raspberry ice cream with two spoons. "And give me your hand please." Olivia's heart melted as she watched Alex, suggesting they are going to eat icecream together on her not cheat day. And she didn't know what to think that she was determined to help her injury. Olivia slowly gave her hand over to the twenty-one year old. "Thank you." Alex gently uncut the wrap to have her hand breath. She finally was able to see the broken skin in multiple places. She wanted to know what happen but needed to figure out how to break Olivia's wall. She placed Olivia's hand in the big bowl of warm water.
Olivia watched Alex clean her wound and massage her hand. She didn't feel pain in the water. "How are you doing that?"
Alex smiled knowing that Olivia wasn't hurting, "I'm an athlete. Do you know how many cuts I get from falling? And how many blisters do I get from breaking in new boots every six months?"
Alex's voice sounded so soothing as she was taking care of her. "I gather a lot?"
Alex looked in the loving brown eyes. "I guess you don't know as much as you think." She scrunched her nose. Alex's thumb against indent on the side of Olivia's hand, "So will you tell me what happen?" Olivia's eyes watered once again. She never really had someone taking care of her with no benefit. "Or do I have to imagine you bought a cat that doesn't like you." Olivia laughed at Alex's joke which quickly turned her emotions south. She finally lost her battle with her tears. "Olivia." Alex whispered tilting her head. She placed the tray on the coffee table. She took a warm hand towel and gently wrapped the cuts.
"My mom… uuh…" Olivia placed the ice cream on the side table. She saw Alex placing her hand out to hold Olivia's hand. She held her the pale hand. "My mom checked out of rehab and told me…" She didn't know how to say out loud what Serena said. Saying it out loud means it was real.
Alex massaged Olivia's neck, "What?"
The broken eyes looked back at the blue eyes, "She… said she regretted keeping me and I'm the reason for her misery." Olivia's words hit Alex's gut like razors. She had a complicated relationship with her mother but Jane never said something like that to her. "I knew that was how she felt. But hearing say that sober… I..." She quickly pulled Olivia in for a hug. Hearing Olivia's sobs broke her heart even more.
Alex had no words for Olivia to make her feel better. She anchored to have her lay on the couch. Olivia stayed in her arms, to finally let go of the stress she's been holding for awhile. Alex did what she could, she rubbed Olivia's back to make Olivia feel better. Olivia could hear Alex's heart beat. For the first time in a long time Olivia has never felt safe in someone's arms. Alex's fingers massaging her head was so comforting that allowed Olivia's alert mind to drift off.
Alex loved the feeling of Olivia being asleep in her arms. She didn't know what to do with Olivia's pain. She couldn't imagine what Olivia's mind was going through. She was having an easier time to understand why Olivia had such thick walls. Alex eventually drifted off into dreamland with Olivia.
