AN: I hope everyone that celebrates had a very Merry Christmas! I thank everyone for the feedback and in response; I made this chapter a bit longer. I realize that this strays from the plot of the blinded episode, but we will get back on track for the next one. I doubt anyone will complain though, Lol! I apologize in advance for the grammar and overall typing issues. As previously stated, this is not the ending yet. Please review and enjoy! Love ya'll!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
"I think that by now I can handle getting dressed". She was extremely unhappy that he even suggested calling a nurse in to help her dress, how dare he assume that she couldn't do it. "You may be surprised to know that I haven't had anyone's help in that department since I was four".
He rolled his eyes, kind of happy that she couldn't see the frustration evident on his face. "If you want to be a rock head, so be it. Holler for me when you need help".
She stuck her tongue out at him, reverting to her inner five year old. "I won't need it" she mumbled as she pulled off the pathetic excuse of a gown the hospital had given her. Anything that completely hangs open in the back should not be called a gown under any circumstance she thought as she grabbed the sweat pants Elliot had brought for her off of the bed. Not being able to see the pant legs turned out to be quite the problem. Both of her legs were squeezed in the one leg. She lost her balance and fell on her butt as she tried to get one leg out. She sighed in defeat.
"Alright, maybe I should put the shirt on first".
Luckily, her top was on when Elliot walked back in the room. He tried not to chuckle when he found her sitting on the floor, one leg in her pants and the other bare. He failed miserably at containing his laughter when he noticed that her shirt was on inside out…and backwards.
"You're a mess. Let me help you" he said as he picked her up by the under arms, setting her down on the bed. She got a chill when his hand brushed her calf as he grabbed her pants. "Extend your right leg". She easily complied and shivered again when he gently pulled the sweats up her leg. "Do you want me to leave or fix the shirt?"
"What's wrong with the shirt?" she asked with a furrowed brow. She had been so proud of herself for getting it on. The look of hurt on her face made him regret mentioning it. "Nothing is, I just wasn't sure if you liked that shirt" he covered.
"So Ms. I can do everything myself, are you ready to go home?"
She eagerly nodded and pushed herself off the bed, stumbling and almost falling after a few steps. Thankfully, Elliot caught her arm and steadied her. "Slow your roll, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep that up. Plus I think you're forgetting something". He held up a pair of shoes in front of her, waiting for the realization to come.
"What El? What am I forgetting?" she asked, frustrated that he left her hanging.
"Oh yea, sorry. Shoes. You forgot your shoes".
Once she was ready, Elliot grabbed her hand and put it on his arm, making it easier to guide her.
(At her apartment)
"Please excuse the mess, I've barely been home lately and I haven't gotten the chance to clean up". He simply nodded and unlocked the door, completely forgetting that she couldn't see his response.
"You could at least acknowledge me" she said bitterly as she pushed past him and into her apartment. He heard a soft thud before he shut the door behind him. She had bumped in to her coffee table, knocking off her TV remote.
"Don't worry Liv; I saw that coffee table jump out in front of you"
"If you want to survive the next few days, shut up".
"FYI, I just rolled my eyes at you for the thousandth time". He loved messing with her; especially when there was very little she could do about it.
She slowly made her way over to the couch, feeling for any obstacles as she went. Olivia flopped down on the couch and got comfy.
"I honestly don't know what to do now" she admitted. "I mean really, what do blind people do to kill time since they can't see the TV?" she mused.
Elliot sat down next to her and made sure to give her plenty of room. She had always been the type of person that liked to stretch out.
"My guess would be that they listen to a lot of music…or you can learn Braille".
She attempted to swat him playfully, but she was way off, accidentally hitting him in the cheek.
"My bad".
He could tell that she wasn't all that sorry.
"I'll forgive you this once".
They sat in silence for a while, unsure of what they should do. The silence was driving Elliot nuts. They were usually fine with silence, but he knew that it would bother her now.
He quickly went over to the stereo and turned it on. An older slow song was playing, exactly what he needed.
"Dance with me" he ordered as he practically pulled her off of the couch and into his arms.
"El, I can't see".
"You don't have to see to dance. Just focus on how it feels, Liv".
He moved his right hand to her hip and grabbed her hand with his left.
"Relax and feel the beat".
She nodded and tried to do as he told. It was so hard to focus on the beat when her partner was holding her flush against his chest. She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks when she stumbled over her own foot. Following this, Elliot shifted and lifted her lightly, making her stand on his feet. "This should work a little better".
She was relying very heavily on her other senses. His scent was so intoxicating that it made her head spin. She had always thought that he smelled good, but now that her sight was practically gone it was much stronger to her. Olivia was enveloped in it and she couldn't be happier. Elliot felt her once tense form relax in his arms after a while. He had no clue what changed, but he wasn't complaining. He smiled ear to ear when she tucked her head into the crook of his neck.
She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with him and hide away from the world. However, her feelings had always caused the internal war of what she could do and what she wanted to do. He felt so warm and the way his muscly body held her so gently made her want to melt.
They danced for a few more songs until an upbeat song came on. "See, I told you that you could still dance".
She simply smiled and curled up on the couch as he turned off the radio and got them some water.
"I haven't danced like that in years" he stated as he grabbed her hand to wrap around the glass, just to make sure she could have a nice hold on it.
"I don't think I've ever enjoyed dancing so much".
"Really?"
"Yea…there's something about just letting yourself feel your partner-I mean the person you're dancing with. You should close your eyes the next time you dance with someone".
Elliot smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her a little closer to him.
"I think I understand what you mean".
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"What's it like?" he asked out of the blue. She shrugged. "Well I can't really answer unless I know what the hell you're talking about".
He chuckled and shook his head. "That attitude never gets old… I meant with your vision. What's it like?"
She honestly didn't know how to answer the question. How do you make someone understand something they've never been through? She gave him the best example that she could think of.
"Alright, you're going to have to work with me here. Try to picture when you were really little and just starting to wash your hair without help from your mom."
"Okay…"
"Then just when you thought all the shampoo was out of your hair, this random drop gets in your eye and it hurts and you can't see a thing. Out of desperate need to relieve that burning feeling, you rub it which only makes your vision more blurry… that's almost what it's like" she explained.
"So you feel like you have crappy kid's soap in your eye?"
She let out an exasperated sigh, "No, it doesn't feel like that. I meant that when I look at things, they look extremely blurry and I can't make out their exact shape".
"So it doesn't hurt?" he inquired.
She shook her head and flinched when she felt his hand on her cheek, his fingers carefully caressing her skin.
"Is this okay?" he whispered to her.
"Yea".
"Your head still hurt?"
"A little" she mumbled, feeling more and more relaxed as his hand moved down to her neck.
His hand brushed her shoulder, causing her skin to become covered in goose bumps through a chill.
"I was really worried when I heard that glass shatter…He could have done much worse to you".
"This still sucks though".
He started to rub her back through the material of her shirt, making her lean into him even more. She was slowly becoming puddy in his hands.
"You're tough, Olivia. You'll get through this".
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
She was grouchy that evening. She had woken up from her nap with a splitting headache and a panic attack to top it off. Waking up and not seeing your surroundings was a damn good reason to be freaked out.
"The doctor never said that there was anything wrong with your head, maybe we should get you double checked" he said as he handed her another headache pill.
"Are you implying that there's always been something wrong up there or are you actually worried about my headaches?"
Watching her smile made him smile.
"But seriously, I'm alright. The doctor said that some aching is to be expected when you've recently done a header through a window".
She heard him moving around, making it hard to judge where he was.
"What the hell are you doing?"
He came back into the living room carrying some extra sheets and a pillow, ready to prepare the couch from him.
"I'm getting ready to set up my bed. I have to be at work at nine".
Olivia felt his hand grab her own, pulling her up and out of his way.
"Just sleep in the bed, it'll be more comfortable" she offered, trying to be nice.
"I don't want to kick you out of your bed".
"You won't be, we're adults. We can share".
He looked over his shoulder at her, almost not believing what he heard. The woman had barely wanted to dance with him hours before, was now suggesting that they share a bed. What?
"Are you sure? I'm just warning you, I've been known to be a cuddler". It was true, if he was in bed with someone, he stayed as close to them as possible.
"It's fine".
He grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway and into the bedroom. He helped her sit on what he assumed was her normal side of the bed, that's where all the pillows were anyway.
"You want to change?" he asked. She just shook her head and laid down, feeling drained.
She felt the bed move when he settled in next to her. His arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She looked so beautiful to him in that moment, no makeup and her hair slightly messy. Holding her was not enough for him, but it would have to be for the time being.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I'm not tired enough to sleep yet" Olivia said, knowing that Elliot wasn't too tired either.
"Let's play a game…pick: truth or dare".
She knew that her dares would be pretty easy considering her circumstance, so she went with dare.
"Kiss me" he dared, moving in to her personal space. She may not have been able to see him, but she could feel his presence. She could feel his breath on her face.
"Why would I do that?" she asked innocently.
"Because we both know that you want to" he answered, being far more daring than ever before. They had always flirted with each other, but they had never ever been this open about it. She felt a nervous excitement bubbling in her chest as she dampened her lips and started to move closer to him. Their lips were only centimeters apart when she accidentally head-butted him, hitting him in the nose with her forehead. She heard him yelp, unsure if it was out of surprise or pain.
"I'm so sorry! I guess my calculation was a bit off and I-"
She was cut off by his lips, capturing her own in a hungry kiss. She felt breathless and a wee bit light headed when they broke apart. His hands carefully held her cheeks, bringing her lips to his again.
His lips were not the typical perfect type. They were somewhat smooth and somewhat chapped at the same time. She didn't mind at all, she actually thought that it was the best kiss she had ever had. Maybe it was because she finally got the kiss she wanted for nine years.
"Olivia, are you okay? I think I lost you there for a second".
"Sorry, what?"
"I asked if you were okay with… well this. I know that I was more than happy but-"
"It was amazing, El. I have wanted to kiss you since we met".
He smiled and pulled her into his chest, kissing the breath out of her.
