AN: Hello there! There are probably like a million reasons why I shouldn't be starting another story, but I'm going to anyway. This story is kind of AU, meaning that details of Elliot's life are different. I don't want to give much away, so here we go! Please let me know what you think! Love y'all!

Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.

Olivia looked over at the clock, wishing she could will time to move faster. Three more minutes and then they could leave and not come back until Monday. She loved her job, but she needed a break. That, and she was looking forward to the evening she had planned. She glanced at the clock again, practically jumping out of her chair when she realized that she was now free.

"Eager to get out of here?" Elliot teased.

She shrugged. "Are you coming?"

He chuckled and grabbed his coat. She tossed him the keys to the car before heading to the elevator. Each step was accompanied with an extra sway of her hips, but she was sure Elliot didn't mind it. In fact, she could feel his eyes on her. They stepped into the elevator together, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Chinese?" Elliot asked, assuming that he was right.

"Actually, I made dinner already".

He cocked a brow, silently questioning her.

"You'll see" was all that she said.

Elliot stood back and waited as Olivia unlocked her door. She was grinning ear to ear as she spoke, but he was too caught up in her pearly whites to listen to a word she said. He followed her into the apartment, setting his coat on the back of the couch. Then he saw it out of the corner of his eyes.

"Wow, Liv. This looks...amazing" He complimented as he made his way to the table. She had taken the time to set two places, even using her special cloth napkins. A single candle acted as the centerpiece, making him smile. She had done so much this morning to make everything look nice. What was the special occasion though? His birthday wasn't for another four months and her birthday...Oh dear God it wasn't her birthday, right? No, that wasn't until January.

"Take a seat, El" Olivia insisted.

"I hope you like pot roast and potatoes".

"Sounds great". He sat down and put his napkin in his lap, trying not to be nervous. He hadn't seen this side of Olivia before. Olivia took the empty plates into the kitchen, giving each of them a nice portion. She came back balancing their plates and a bottle of wine.

"Dig in".

She watched as he took his first bite, trying to gauge his reaction. He decided to have some fun with it, chewing dramatically slow. She rolled her eyes, suppressing a laugh.

"How is it?"

Elliot began to cough, adding some ridiculously gross gagging noises just for fun. He relished in her laughter. "It's delicious, Liv. Where did you learn how to make this?"

Olivia swirled her wine, avoiding eye contact like she usually did when someone complimented her. "My uh, my mom taught me".

They settled into a comfortable silence as they ate, occasionally sneaking glances at each other. By the end of the meal Elliot's curiosity was through the roof.

"That was an amazing meal, but I have to ask, what's the occasion?"

She opened her mouth to speak, quickly closing it again. The wheels in her head were definitely turning, yet nothing was coming out.

"How about we move to the couch?"

She suggested already moving, wine in hand. Elliot occupied the opposite end of the sofa, making sure to give Olivia enough space.

"El, how long have you been single now?"

He drank the rest of his glass before answering. "Five years".

"And are you happy?"

He was taken aback by that question.

"I uh, I guess?"

"Well, Elliot, I'm not. I'm not happy with where my life is right now. I haven't had a second date in over a year, and the first ones have been horrible, and that's putting it kindly. My work family is my only family, and I love the guys, but that's not what I wanted with my life. I was supposed to be married and have three kids by now. Don't get me wrong, the job is my life, but I see that as more of a bad thing now. Well not a bad thing exactly, just...I want more, El. Are you satisfied with only being Detective Stabler?"

He knew the answer to that one. "No, I'm not satisfied".

"That's exactly why I wanted to talk to you about the possibility of changing that".

Elliot gave her a questioning look, but stayed silent to let her speak.

"I propose that we get married...to each other".

It was quiet enough in there to hear a pin drop, and the tension could be cut with a knife. It wasn't awkward though. Olivia simply waited for him to process what she suggested. Unlike the flabbergasted man next to her, she had months to think the whole situation through. She could see Elliot thinking, and that alone reassured her even more.

"So, you think that we should get married?"

"It's an idea" She shrugged.

"How would it work? Would it be a normal marriage?"

"El, what exactly are you asking me?"

He huffed. "I mean, will we be married and living like roommates so we're not alone, or married and living like we're married?"

Olivia couldn't keep in her giggle.

"Are you asking me about sex?"

A rosy blush crept up on his cheeks, giving him away. "It's an important thing to consider" He defended.

"It is, and I for one enjoy it, so if you agree you better be up for it".

She paused for a moment to take in his response, but he was so lost in his thoughts that she doubted that he heard her.

"Look, El, you have as long as you need to decide. I'm not going to be offended if you say no. It's pretty out there".

Elliot reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Liv, I want to take you out to dinner tomorrow so we can talk about this a little more".

"Sounds great".