AN: Two chapters at once? No way! There will be more to the story so stay tuned! Love y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters
Elliot Stabler had seen Olivia Benson all gussied up on many occasions. Most of those occasions were her dates with other men, men that didn't stand a chance with her. Then there were the half dozen police balls that they had attended, but she would only wear a conservative dress and flats. Now, here he was, standing in front of the very same Olivia, who was dressed to the nines. Her attire for the evening had to be the best he had ever seen. She wore a red dress that showed just the right amount of cleavage, and silver, sparkly pumps that accentuated her already long, toned legs. She gave him an amused smile, clearly enjoying appreciation.
"You look beautiful, Olivia".
"Thank you, and you're very handsome, Elliot".
He offered her his arm, doing his very best to be a gentlemen. No matter what the outcome, tonight would be a big night for them.
Olivia's nerves didn't set in until they arrived at the restaurant. Elliot paid for the cab and for some reason that's when she began to panic. There was a good chance that they would sit down and enjoy a lovely evening together, but Elliot turns her down. Which would completely crush her though she'd play it off as if she thought it was a crazy idea to begin with. At the same time, he could say yes. He could think that making her the future was a wonderful idea. It was the uncertainty that was killing her. The next thing she knew, they were seated and reading over the menu. Once their orders were taken, Elliot began to speak.
"I've thought about your proposition, well actually, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it".
He could feel Olivia's leg bouncing underneath the table. In some sense, knowing that she was nervous too was comforting to him. He placed his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"This was a crazy idea" She grimaced.
He could feel that she was about to run.
"Liv, please, hear me out?" He plead.
She nodded, trying to maintain eye contact.
"As you know, I've done the whole marriage thing before and it didn't go well. Kathy lied to me and told me that I got her pregnant so I would propose. I have to tell you, Liv, that despite that experience, my first thought was to say yes, to marry you".
She looked confused, but he didn't miss how she moved her fingers so that they were laced with his.
"You are an amazing woman, Olivia, and I've been lucky enough to call you my partner and best friend for the last decade. I think that being your husband would be the greatest journey of my life. There wasn't much for me to think about, except which ring to get you".
He moved so that he was kneeling down in front of her on one knee. Tears stained her cheeks, but she was smiling through them.
"Olivia Margaret Benson…I know that it was your idea, but will you marry me?"
She nodded "Yes!" They both smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger. He cupped her face, carefully brushing away her tears.
"May I kiss you?"
"Of course".
Everyone's eyes were on them, but in that moment, neither of them cared. He could feel her smiling against his lips, only adding to the fireworks. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.
"Let's go home" He suggested with a little something in his tone that she hadn't heard before.
"What about dinner?"
"Already handled" Elliot reassured with a wink. He helped her stand, leading her back to the entrance. They were stopped multiple times on their way out by fellow patrons that wished to congratulate them. The two of them were beaming by the time they made it to the door.
Their waiter handed Elliot a bag that by the smell, Olivia guessed their food was in. Elliot took some money out of his pocket, handing it to the other man. A car waited for them outside. Olivia was impressed to say the least.
"You planned this all out".
"Only the best for my fiance".
The word sent a shiver down her spine. Part of her couldn't believe that Elliot had agreed to her crazy idea. The other part was angry that she hadn't done it sooner. The ride to his apartment was silent, but that was because they were too busy exchanging sweet, chaste kisses.
Elliot unlocked his apartment, quickly scooping Olivia up in his arms. She threw her head back laughing, enjoying Elliot's struggle to carry her and the food into the apartment. He set her down on the couch, stealing one more kiss.
"Well, El, what do we do now?"