The room felt like it was spinning on an uneven surface. The silence deafening of said room, except for the panicked breaths filling the air. The intense brain fogginess made it difficult to focus on anything. Things like, location, what happened and most importantly where was his partner? Liv?! That last questioning thought had Nick jolting upright, ignoring the severe pain in his head. He searched the dark room for his weapon and dashed to the door. He slowed down when he reached the hallway, stealthily clearing the corners before he reached the master bedroom's door. He took one last steadying breath before he opened the door, praying that Olivia was in there, unharmed. A shocking gasp escaped his lips, followed by instant relief. Then something else filled his gut at the sight before him. Olivia was safe, unharmed and asleep, being little spooned by Amanda's protective arm and leg draped across her body. Feeling like an intruder on the intimate moment, the longer he stood there, Nick gently closed the door and headed toward the kitchen.
What the hell is going on? Confused was an understatement. The detective was desperately trying to piece together the night's events as he opened the refrigerator. He felt utterly dehydrated and grabbed a water bottle, downing it in ten seconds flat. When he reached to grab another one, something in the fridge jogged his memory of the previous night's events. Those damn strawberries! He slammed the door shut and shook his head, when he finally remembered what happened. Before he could fully piece everything together, creeping footsteps startled him. He turned around to the sound and saw the barrel end of a gun aiming at him.
"Whoa! It's me, it's just me!"
"Jesus! Amaro, I almost shot you!" Exclaimed Amanda as she lowered her weapon and took a deep breath. The loud thud of the refrigerator slamming is what had her rushing into the kitchen with her weapon drawn. After she calmed down a bit, she had an opportunity to notice the male detective's state of dress, or undress to be exact. Her irritation with Amaro was already at an all-time high. Finding him in nothing but his underwear, only added fuel to the rapidly spreading wildfire. "Where the hell are your clothes?! You make it a habit of parading around in just your goddamn drawers in front of my girlfriend?! What are you trying to do here, Amaro?"
"Relax, alright!" Nick began. "And of course, I don't normally walk around like this! I wasn't thinking about clothes or anything else, because I was too worried that my partner might be in danger. I jumped straight up and went searching for Liv because last night is a blur. I don't even know how in the hell we made it back here. I was on autopilot when I woke up. I cleared the house in a panic and checked in her room to make sure she was safe. When I saw you and her in bed, I…" he paused, slightly embarrassed, a lot jealous. However, he continued honestly, "I was relieved. Came to the kitchen to get some water and now here we are."
Here we are, indeed. The logical explanation did let some of the steam out of the room but Amanda was still riled up to say the least. There were many questions that she had for her colleague, as well as some other things that she needed to get off her chest. The two detectives had unresolved tension with each other ever since their confrontation at Mulligan's a few months ago. With Olivia still in her drug induced slumber, the blonde felt this would be the perfect opportunity to clear the air once and for all. Without any warning or pretense, Amanda dove right into it.
"How'd Liv end up whacked out of her mind last night?"
Oh. Nick was expecting a different line of questioning. "The ladies at the club were still testing us. Took us to the back room and—wait. Don't you already know all of this? You were in the surveillance van."
Embarrassment filled Rollins' gut that she couldn't put her feelings aside to do her job but she wouldn't let him know that. "Actually, I was sick last night. So, no I wasn't in the van…" she avoided eye contact, hoping the other detective wouldn't see right through her lie.
"Oh." Sick, huh? Riiight. "Well, long story short. They were trying to get us loosened up. Plied us with champagne, then these strawberries. I didn't know the strawberries were actually edibles until the Raquel chick let it slip. Olivia had already had like three of them before I had a chance to warn her. I scoffed the rest of them down, so she couldn't eat any more but the damage was already done."
"Good lord. Three? That explains a lot."
"They hit her pretty hard, huh?"
"Understatement," the blonde chuckled. "Classic first-timer experience. Extreme euphoria, followed by the paranoia. Then on to my personal fav, the munchies and my not so fav, the emotional breakdown."
Nick laughed at the pained expression on her face and the spot-on description of a first timer. "Honestly, kind of hate I missed that."
"Yeah, high Olivia Benson was quite the experience." More laughter, then she stopped for a moment to remember something he'd said earlier. "You ate more than her. Explains why you were passed out when I got here last night."
He shrugged, "I'd take dispensary edibles over a line of Columbiana's purest any day." He subtly shuddered at the memory of his toughest undercover op to date, where he posed as a ruthless drug lord. The detective shook off those unpleasantries and refocused on the present. He knew there were things he and his colleague needed to say to each other. After a beat, Amaro piped up again, "Look—"
"She's everything to me," Amanda began, at the same time he was about to speak. "Everything," her cerulean eyes deadlocked onto him, as he avoided the intense gaze. "And you were right that night at the bar. I'm not good enough for her—"
"Rollins—"
She ignored the interruption and kept talking, "But she chose me. Me."
"I know that."
"So, this thing or whatever you want to call it that you have for Liv—"
"Stop. Don't go there…"
"You need to get over it. Because I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here as long as she'll have me. And I'm not even asking for you to like it but you need to respect it or you and I will have a serious problem…" Amaro looked up at that direct threat and Amanda held her steely gaze, letting him know she would fight for what's hers if necessary.
As if on cue, their partner picked that perfect moment to stride out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. In all of her drug-induced, sleep-hazed glory. Olivia Benson has been described in a plethora of ways. Loyal, dedicated, intelligent, hard-working, beautiful etc. Rarely any negative descriptors were ever associated with the brilliant detective. However, in that moment, she was a hot flaming mess. Her eyes were bloodshot, brunette hair a tousled mess and her gf's Hawks' t-shirt she wore, was stained with an assortment of late-night munchies. Hot flaming mess indeed. Both of the other detective's eyes widened at the brunette's appearance.
"Uhhh, I really hope that roaming around in your goddamn underwear ain't the norm around here," Amanda was trying to keep the annoyance and hostility out of her voice but come on! Enough was enough. First, Nick parading around in his revealing, white Calvin Klein boxer briefs, now Liv in her short t-shirt and tiny boy shorts, showing every sexy curve on full display. There was only so much a girl could take.
"Really?" Amaro asked incredulously, his hands instantly lowering to cover himself. Olivia looked down, seemingly just realizing her state of dress or lack thereof. Before things got even more awkward, Nick spoke up again. "I'm gonna go back to my bedroom. Glad you're ok, partner." He made sure to put emphasis on 'partner', all the while sending the blonde a seething glare.
Fucking asshole. Tabling her anger for now, Amanda refocused on her girlfriend. "Hey you, feeling any better?"
"Sorry 'bout this," Liv gestured to her body. "Still feeling a little floaty. I wasn't thinking but can you not be mad at me right now? I need you…" the sincerity in Olivia's voice pierced straight to the other woman's heart. Along with the vulnerable statement. She could never deny her nor would she ever want to.
"Oh baby, come 'ere," Amanda closed the distance between them and pulled the taller woman in, rubbing up and down her back in a comforting gesture. Then whispered, "I'm not mad. Come on, let's go back to bed."
"Ok," They let go of each other and walked back to the master bedroom. When inside, Olivia practically climbed on top of Amanda, as she laid on her chest. The latter wrapping both arms around the former, peppering kisses atop of her head, "You know, I can't believe people actually like feeling high like this. Strawberries are officially ruined for me, forever."
The blonde let out a soft chuckle, as she stroked soft brunette hair before responding. "It's a much better experience when smoked instead of ingested…"
Olivia tilted her head upward and arched a perfect brow at that assertion. "Uh huh, speaking from experience, eh?"
"Oh, come on. You've never tried it before? Not even once?"
"Nope, never. Nancy Reagan was very persuasive. I just said no," shrugged the brunette, still cuddled closely against her partner's chest.
"Nancy Reagan? Seriously?" scoffed the blonde. "Freakin' goody two shoes."
"Hey," Liv poked her in the side. "Be nice."
"Always," was the cheeky reply, before she leaned down for an overdue kiss. "Mmm," The kiss started off slow and sweet. A few deliberate pecks to get reacquainted. Soft lips quickly refamiliarizing, as tongues cascaded together beautifully. Roaming hands joined the party, searching for flesh as things began to heat up. They were completely consumed in each other, reconnecting when their lungs burned for air. "Damn," drawled the young detective, blue eyes darkening with desire. "I love kissing you."
"Not as much as I love kissing you."
"You know, it's been a long, lonely, dry four weeks…" Amanda said suggestively. As she lined the side of the brunette's face and neck with lingering kisses, latching on to a pulse point. "Really, really been missing you."
"Honey…" It meant to come out as a gentle warning but the need was present in the soft tone.
"What?" Kiss. "Don't," neck kiss. "You," chest kiss. "Miss," stomach kiss. "Me?" farther south kiss…
Olivia's breathing was audible, as desire dripped from her pores. "You know I miss you," husked out the detective, an octave below her normal speaking voice. "But Nick—"
"Uggghhh," Amanda stopped mid kiss and dropped her head on Olivia's lap. "Why do you like taking a hose to my fire?" Her voice was muffled, due to the location of her face.
"You really do love that weird expression, I swear." Olivia rolled her eyes with a smirk splayed across her lips. "And I'm sorry to hose you down or whatever," she waved her hands in a circular motion before continuing. "But the way I've been missing you, I'm certain anyone within a five-mile radius, let alone the next room over, would hear me screaming your name…"
Amanda released a longing, guttural groan. "Mmm baby, you're absolutely killing me here." The blonde made her way back up Liv's body and claimed her lips yet again. Clearly a kiss of resignation, free from the previous heat and yearning.
A knock at the condo's front door halted everything all at once. Their current reality crashing onto them suddenly, as they went into cope mode. Big brown eyes doubled in size and locked with just as shocked blue ones, before the senior detective grabbed a robe and bolted for the bedroom door. Amanda hot on her trail. When they entered into the hallway, Nick met them there with confusion and uneasiness etched onto his face. Liv quickly sprang into action. "Amanda, stay in the bedroom."
"But—"
"Not asking!" There wasn't any time for a pointless debate. More orders followed, "Nick, stay close by but out of sight."
"Copy that," replied Amaro.
Olivia took one last breath, trying to rid her brain of the lingering effects left behind by the edibles. She looked through the peephole, then nodded toward Amaro on the sofa, letting him know they were back in character. "Julie? Hi." Why the hell is she here? Olivia tried to keep her face neutral, free from the sheer panic that lingered just beneath the surface. Every fiber in her body was on high alert. Whatever reasoning behind this surprise visit wasn't good. Especially, with Amanda hiding in the master bedroom. "What are you doing here?"
The calculated woman shrugged in a nonchalant sort of way. "Just wanted to check on you. The two of you ran out so fast last night, didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Julie took a closer step to the brunette, signature mischievous smirk dancing on her lips before she spoke again. "So…are you going to invite me in?"
Fuck. "Sure…"
AN: SVU's recent casting news disaster mixed with decline in reader engagement, definitely killed my writing mojo. Struggled through this chp, hopefully it's decent. Thanks for reading.