A/N: I want to address some of the concerns in the reviews.
The issue of race will be addressed later on. Right now, they aren't in a place where race isn't as big an issue as it is in America. But it will come up before everything's said and done.
Someone wanted to know where Jake went, which is a first because people are here for him less than they are for Edison. However, Jake will make another appearance pretty soon.
A few of you were wondering if Fitz and Olivia will live in the US if they end up together. Considering that at the time interracial marriage was illegal and even being in an interracial relationship was extremely dangerous with the exception of a few places, if Fitz and Olivia end up together it probably won't be in America.
There have been several comments about the length of the chapters. The upcoming ones will be longer. The last one was especially short but it was mostly filler and setting the stage for this one.
Some people were wondering why Liv hasn't broken up with Edison yet. If she breaks up with him, it will be in person. It will also not be because of Fitz. The relationship was flawed before she met Fitz and his presence doesn't change the fact that she and Edison have issues. If she breaks up with him, it will be her decision completely and part of her asserting her independence from her tendency to let others' opinions dictate what she feels she should do. I don't personally like the idea of her dumping one guy for another because that implies that a new guy fixes everything. Fitz adds a little perspective to her relationship with Edison in that he shows her what she could have if she'd let go of her inhibitions. She's just a bit uptight if you all haven't noticed.
Now that I've bored you all to death with my neurotic ramblings, let's get to the big date!
Olivia jumped at the sound of a knock on the door. She raced down the stairs in her bathrobe and opened the door. Fitz stood on the other side, smiling nervously as he clutched a bouquet of red tulips.
"Am I early?" he asked, looking down at her white robe.
"No," Olivia replied, looking down at herself. "I was just about to get dressed."
"Oh. Okay. I'll just wait out here. Take as long as you want." Olivia smiled at him. He was so sweet and didn't even seem to be aware of it. He sat on the steps and Olivia grinned at the back of his head for a moment before heading upstairs.
"He's here and I still have no clue what to wear!" Olivia cried as she darted into her room.
Abby looked up from painting her fingernails. "Wear that purple dress."
"I wore that dancing," Olivia replied as she stood before the mirror, putting on lipstick.
"Wear that blue dress. The one with the pleats," Abby suggested.
Olivia pulled the dress out and looked it over then put it back. "That's not the look I want. I want to look…"
"Sexy," Abby finished for her. "Wear that polka dot blouse with the red skirt."
Olivia pulled the outfit out and looked at it. She hadn't worn it yet. She hadn't had anywhere to wear such a snug skirt. She put the outfit on and looked at her backside in the mirror. "Do you think the skirt's too tight?"
"I think your ass looks damn fine in it," Abby replied. "And if I think it, he will. And wear those cute shoes with the t-straps."
Olivia nodded and went to get the shoes from the closet. She put the shoes on then looked at herself as she adjusted the shirt's necktie. "Do you think I should put my hair up?"
"Just pin the left side back," Abby replied. Olivia nodded and pinned the left side back. She had never been so nervous. She put her lipstick and breath mints in her little black purse then looked at Abby. "God Abby, I've never been so nervous."
"Why are you nervous? You're just going to dinner. Or are you planning to sleep with him?" Abby grinned like the Cheshire cat.
"No!" Olivia cried. Things weren't going to go that far. She still had a commitment to Edison to uphold and she'd already pushed the bounds of infidelity too much.
"Whatever you say, Liv."
"I'm not sleeping with him." Olivia headed for the door.
"Are you telling me that or yourself?" Abby smirked at her uptight friend.
"I'm not sleeping with him." And with that, Olivia was out the door. Abby shook her head as she went back to painting her nails. She was already prepared to not see Olivia until the next morning, especially after catching sight of Olivia's powder pink lacy bra and panties.
XXXXX
Fitz swirled spaghetti on his fork as he watched Olivia sip her wine. She was luminescent in the moonlight pouring through the open window they sat next to. She met his gaze and smiled softly. His uniform was freshly pressed. He had even tamed his hair with pomade in an attempt to look as presentable as possible.
"Are you excited to be heading home in a few weeks?" Fitz asked casually. He was incredibly anxious about Olivia going home for fear that she would forget him.
"Yes," Olivia replied then frowned. She wanted to go home. "No." She didn't want to deal with wedding preparations and Edison's insistence that she quit nursing. She gave an exasperated sigh. I don't know."
"Don't you miss your family?"
"Well yes, but there's more than that waiting for me at home and I'm not so sure I'm ready to be bothered with it."
Fitz knew what she was alluding to and didn't want to bring down their evening. Deciding to go someplace lighter in their talk, he asked, "What do you miss most about home?"
"My instruments," Olivia answered.
"What do you play?" Fitz asked.
"The cello, and the piano," Olivia replied.
"My sister Celia plays the cello. I could never understand why someone so small would pick such a big instrument. Well, she's small compared to me. She's bigger than you. Of course, everyone seems bigger than you." Fitz realized he was nervously rambling and took a sip of his wine. Olivia giggled at his nervousness.
"I picked it because—and this is going to sound crazy—it sounded so sad the first time I heard it, like it needed me. I just thought if it was played by someone who loved it, it would be the most beautiful sound in the world," she answered.
He smiled. "You are really something, Livvie." He asked, "Did you love the piano that way too?"
"Not really. My mother taught me one restless summer and I liked it more as busy work than anything else. When I play the cello, it's all feeling. I don't think at all. But the piano kept my fingers busy so I could let my mind wander. I usually only play when I need to think."
"My grandfather taught me the saxophone the summer I turned 9. I was staying with them for the summer and I think I had worn him thin asking him about being in the war. So he gave me his old sax and taught me to play under the condition that I didn't ask him anything else about the war."
"So you always wanted to be a soldier?"
Fitz grinned. "I wanted to be a hero. I thought if I worked at it hard enough, I could grow up to save the world. Enlisting was the closest I could get."
Olivia smiled at the image of a little Fitz running around his backyard in a cape. "I've always wanted to be a nurse. Or a painter. My parents wouldn't hear of me spending my life broke and peddling my watercolors though."
"What do you paint?"
"Flowers mostly. I have a fascination with lighthouses so I've done dozens of those. I don't want to sell my paintings anymore. I just want to come from a hard day and work out my kinks on the canvas."
"That's how I feel about my music. My sisters think I should join a jazz band because apparently I'm just that talented," he chuckled wryly, "but I just want to play. When all my work is done, I want to sit on the porch with my sax and find some beauty in this mixed-up world."
"Amen to that," Olivia replied. She smiled at him. He was so much more than she'd ever imagined he'd be. She was completely fascinated.
XXXXX
Olivia was floating on a cloud as she and Fitz left the restaurant. She would have been lying if she'd said that she felt guilty. She should have, but she never felt anything but giddy with Fitz. Fitz held her hand as they walked down the dimly lit street.
"I have to tell you something," he said reluctantly.
"What is it?" The look on his face troubled Olivia.
"They want me to go to France earlier than what was originally planned," he answered.
"How much earlier?"
"Monday." It was Friday. Olivia felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She didn't know what she would do without Fitz. She didn't know what it meant that she was so heartbroken at the prospect of him leaving.
"I don't know what to say." She didn't know what to say. She just knew that her heart was splitting in two.
"Say you won't forget me. Say you'll write to me. Say you're feeling what I'm feeling." Fitz stared at her with an intense need that wreaked havoc on her soul. She loved Edison, but it was nothing compared to what she felt for Fitz. She had only known him a week, and she'd never been one to believe in love at first sight, but she and Fitz had something special, something otherworldly.
"I'll write to you. Everyday. Even after I go home," Olivia replied with wide, earnest eyes.
Fitz stopped walking and pulled her close, held her so tightly that he almost hurt her. "So you feel it too?"
"Yes," Olivia replied in a small voice. "I shouldn't, but God help me I do."
Fitz decided to go for broke. "Say you'll wait for me, Livvie. I have furlough scheduled in a few weeks and I'll be back in the states. Say you won't marry him until we've seen each other again." He pulled at his curls, a knot in his stomach. "I don't have the right to ask, but I'm crazy about you. If I come and you don't want me, I'll never bother you again. But if I get there and this is still between us, promise me you won't marry him."
Olivia stared at him. He was worried about not having a right to ask her to wait but she was the one in the wrong. She was the home wrecker. She was the cheater. She should never have flirted with him, never kissed him, never done anything but take care of him. But she couldn't leave it there. She couldn't not flirt with him, not kiss him. It was like she had been waiting her whole life for him to show up. She replied, "I… I'll wait for you, Fitz."
The smile that spread across his face made her dizzy with love. She wanted to kiss him breathless.
"So what now?" he asked.
Twenty minutes later, they were checking into a little hotel owned by a stooped-over half-deaf man and his large wife. Olivia's heart hammered as they climbed the stairs to their second floor room. The room was small with a large bed. There was a rickety wooden table and chair, and a little dresser below a clock that ticked loudly. Fitz opened the door and allowed Olivia to enter first. When he closed the door behind him, he was surprised by her crashing her lips into his, pushing him back into the door.
"I was going to ask if you wanted this," Fitz said between her feverish kisses, "but that seems unnecessary."
"I don't think I've ever wanted anything as much as I want this," Olivia replied, grinding her hips into his. Fitz took hold of her small waist and began walking them backwards toward the bed. The backs of Olivia's legs hit the bed and she sat down then lay back, pulling him on top of her. Their clothes were disposed of in what seemed like seconds, leaving them both naked and panting. They stared at each other longingly. It was their first and quite possible their last night together.
Fitz's calloused fingertips caressed her silky bare flesh, loving every inch of her. He sucked on her taut nipples like a starving man, enjoying the way her body trembled beneath him. He left leopard spot-like marks everywhere his mouth touched. She would have balked at Edison leaving marks on her, always having thought them tacky and tawdry, but Fitz's mouth felt so good on her flesh. Olivia knotted her fingers in his unruly curls, pulling her knees back and opening herself to him. He was surprised and exhilarated to find her center wet and hot. He groaned at the ease of slipping two fingers inside her, making her hips buck beneath him.
"Fitz, please… I can't wait any more," she cried when he rubbed her bundle of nerves between his thumb and forefinger. She had never been so excited or wanted a man so much. She had never felt the need that was pulsing through her body. Placing a sweet kiss on her lips, he slipped off the bed and retrieved a condom from his pants pocket. He rolled it on then climbed back into bed with her. They both gasped at the feeling of him pressing against her entrance. Olivia's eyes rolled back as he pushed inside her eager heat. Her hips rocked as her back arched. She let out a breathless little "ah!" and her head fell back as he thrust into her hard. He liked that noise. He wanted to hear more of that noise. Focusing on that spot, he found a driving rhythm, enjoying those breathless little "ah's."
"Oh God, Liv…" he groaned, his lips on the curve of her jaw. Olivia's fingers knotted in his hair, tugging on it gently. Her legs snaked around his waist, pulling him deeper into her warmth. Their pace was quick but powerful, making the headboard bang against the wall rhythmically. Were it not for the thudding headboard, her cries could only have meant bloody murder. Fitz bit into her supple flesh and pushed her knees back to her chest so he could pound her senseless, spurred on by her high-pitched cries.
Olivia felt her orgasm building deep in her core. Her whole body trembled in anticipation of the impending explosion. She had never known herself to be a screamer but she could hear herself calling his name as she rocketed toward oblivion. Fitz lay atop her, his arms hooked underneath her body, tugging gently on her hair. His warm breath brought goose bumps to her neck as he groaned her name against her skin. She bit his earlobe and he groaned, his nails making little crescent moons on her hips. He had been with his share of women but none of them came close to feeling like Olivia. He could tell she was inexperienced but the way her body reacted to his touch drove him wild. He hammered her without mercy, so close to the edge. They exploded simultaneously. Olivia bit his shoulder to keep from screeching. Fitz let out a strangled groan as he reached his peak. Olivia wasn't sure when it happened, but suddenly she was weeping on his shoulder. Fitz held onto her, rolling them over so she was on top of him wrapping his arms tightly around her. He kissed her forehead then her eyes then the streaks of tears on her cheeks. He didn't say anything, but his presence was the most comforting thing Olivia had ever experienced. She managed to stop crying, her sobs ending in little hiccups.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked in the softest voice. Olivia nodded and sniffed then slipped off him to go in the bathroom. Fitz wondered if she regretted being with him. He hoped she didn't because he had never been so enamored with anyone. He needed to her to feel the same way he did. He got up and removed the condom, tossing it into the garbage, then slipped on his boxers. He went to his pants to get a cigarette. He found a book of matches in the nightstand next to the bed then cracked the dirty window a bit before climbing back into the bed and lighting up. Olivia emerged a moment later and Fitz finally had the opportunity to look at her body in all its glory. He would never forget every magnificent curve, the freckles on her back, the little half-moon birthmark on her left shoulder.
Olivia managed a smile as she walked back into the room. She looked around the room and was surprised to find her panties on top of the dresser. She pulled them back on then got into bed with Fitz, laying between his legs with her back to his chest. He kissed her shoulder, offering her his cigarette. Olivia wasn't much of a smoker, unlike most nurses, but she took it anyway and took a drag off it. She exhaled a plume of smoke then took another long drag, feeling her nerves settle. She held the cigarette to his lips, shifting so she could look at him. Fitz's hands held her breasts as he leaned down to take a pull off the cigarette.
"I've never had sex like that before," she admitted quietly. Fitz hadn't either, but he sensed she was talking more about the emotional feelings than the physical ones.
He replied, "Me either." His fingers absently played with her nipples, sending little tremors through her body. "What's your favorite color?"
Olivia looked up at him. "What?"
"I wanna know all those silly things about you: your favorite color, your favorite food, how old you were when you had your first kiss; all those random things you learn from spending too much time with someone," he replied.
Olivia smiled. He was just too cute. "Well, my favorite color is yellow, and my favorite food is French fries. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was 11 when I had my first kiss." She looked up at him. "What about you?"
"My favorite color is green. My favorite food is steak. Medium rare. Always. I was 8 when I had my first kiss," he answered. "When's your birthday?"
"January 31st," she answered, turning onto her stomach so she could look at him. "When's yours?"
"September 1st. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?"
She thought for a moment. "Jamaica."
"Why?"
"It's where my parents were born and they always talk about it so fondly. My mom says the water's so clear you can see your own reflection. And it's supposedly always sunny, and Jamaicans have never met a stranger." He loved the sparkle in her eyes. She asked, "What about you?"
"California," he answered without hesitation. "I can't imagine living anywhere else. The palm trees, the beaches, the food… It's like paradise." He smiled dreamily at her. "You should come visit. You'd never want to leave."
Olivia smirked at him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Definitely." He wrapped his arms around her. "Or I could come to Georgia. I've always wanted to try those peaches."
"You'd stick out like a sore thumb in Georgia talking like you do," she teased.
Fitz laughed. "What's wrong with the way I talk?"
"It's so fast," she replied.
He smirked. "Am I supposed to drawl like you?"
"There's nothing wrong with a little twang," she insisted, smiling at him. "Plus, you said you liked my accent."
"I like everything about you, Livvie."
"You and that smile…" Olivia kissed him, sucking on his bottom lip.
"You and this skin," he replied, running his hands down her back. "I've never seen skin so beautiful. It's like you've been kissed by the sun. And it's so soft…" He rolled her onto her back, rolling onto his side and looking down at her adoringly. She couldn't remember Edison ever looking at her that way. He took her right nipple in his mouth, sucking like a starving man. He scooted down to plant wet kisses on her stomach then her thighs. He kissed down to her ankles then back up. Olivia sat up on her elbows, watching him pepper feather-soft kisses on the insides of her thighs. When he reached the apex, she shuddered at his warm breath on her sensitive skin. Her elbows lost the ability to support her when his mouth made contact. She pulled her knees back, opening herself, and desperately grabbed hold of his curls.
"Oh God, Fitz," she whimpered. He licked her bundle of nerves and moaned appreciatively when her hips bucked. He repeated the gesture over and over until she was screaming bloody murder and tugging on his curls frantically. When her screams turned into breathless mewls and pleas, he knew she was close. He had to hold her thighs apart to keep her from suffocating him when he slipped his tongue inside her. She arched her back, trying to get away and push closer at the same time. When she erupted, he lapped up her sweet nectar.
"So sweet," he murmured as he moved to spoon her. He smiled against her neck. "Like brown sugar." Olivia giggled. "Can I call you that?"
She again and replied, "As long as there's no one around to hear you."
He smiled, planting kisses on her neck as he pulled her right leg over his, moving to align their cores. "Oh there won't be. I'm never letting you out of this bed."
XXXXX
The sunlight pouring through the hotel room window stirred Olivia awake. She moved to sit up and remembered where she was when she found herself trapped by Fitz's arm around her. She rolled onto her back and smiled at the sight of Fitz. He was beautifully asleep, his curls wild and his face completely at peace. She brushed a curl back from his face and he stirred. He opened his eyes and a sleepy smile spread across his face.
"Hi," he said before yawning.
Olivia smiled. "Hi."
He used his hold on her to pull her close so he could kiss her. He rolled on top of her, pulling her arms above her head as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. Olivia was practically light-headed with arousal. But she had to work that afternoon. She reluctantly pulled her mouth away from his.
"I have to get to work in a little while," she mumbled against his lips.
"Well then we've got time," Fitz replied with a devilish smile. Olivia glanced at the clock. It was nearly 10 and she had to be at work at 12. Plus, she needed a shower and makeup on her bitten neck.
"We don't. I would love it if we did. But I need to get home and make myself presentable for work," Olivia replied reluctantly. Fitz rolled off her and she sat up in bed. The sheets fell away from her bare breasts. The light flooding through the window hit her skin and Fitz was struck by how beautiful she was, breath-taking as her skin glowed in the morning light. She looked at him sheepishly. "What?"
"Nothing. You're just really pretty in the morning," he replied with a goofy grin.
Olivia blushed as she smoothed her hair. "I've never heard that one before."
"Well it's true," he replied, reaching over to caress her cheek. He watched as she got out of bed, looking around the room for her scattered clothes. He finally got up and got dressed too, stopping to turn on the radio.
Olivia stopped in her tracks at the sound of the song playing. She turned to look at him with wide doe eyes. "I love this song."
"I've never heard it," he replied.
"It's called 'Dream a Little Dream of Me,'" she answered. "My mother used to sing it all the time around the house."
Fitz smiled dreamily at her. "Will you dance with me?"
Olivia smiled at him. He was just too perfect. She stepped closer to him and he closed the space between them, wrapping his arm around her waist. Her arms encircled his neck and she stepped closer, pressing her chest to his. She lay her head on his shoulder and allowed him to move her around the room to the music. Fitz was surprised when she whispered, "We should do this forever."
"Dance around a dingy hotel room?"
Olivia poked his side, smirking up at him. He just smiled at her and continued swaying her to the music. When the song was over, he sheepishly released her, watching with a smile as she grabbed her purse. She was quiet as they walked to her tenement, her hand in his. When they reached the stone steps, she looked up at him.
"So Monday's the day…"
He nodded. "I guess it's okay. I've always wanted to see Paris." He looked down at their still interlocked hands. "Well, I did before I met you. Now I just want to see it with you."
"I wish I had done everything in the world with you," she admitted.
Olivia's eyes closed at the feeling of his lips on hers. The lines of right and wrong had blurred beyond recognition. They had fled the land of black and white, and now everything was bathed in shades of gray. She didn't know what time would bring, but she knew that everything was different. She would go home a different Olivia, and Olivia who craved the feeling she had with Fitz, the feeling that she was completely alive.
A/N: So they had an eventful evening. Fitz is leaving—pause for tears on that—but he'll be back. But what will he come back to? Honestly things are about to get angsty and if you're not up for that, you might want to check out now. There will still be fluff because I feel like the show gave us enough Olitz angst to give anyone an ulcer, but things are about to get complicated for our babies. They're relationship kind of existed in a bubble and is about to brave the world. Don't forget to leave your thoughts! XOXO