AN: Hello! I'm so glad to see that people are at least interested in reading more. Thank you! I think that this chapter is still kind of setting things up, but it's the last of it's kind. We will be moving forward after this one. Love y'all!
Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.
Olivia sat against the headboard with her food in her lap, intently watching the movie Elliot had put on. They decided to eat in bed and watch tv, and she was enjoying herself. Elliot's arm was around her shoulder, and it felt natural. They fit well together, and the thought made her smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Elliot asked, moving her empty container off of her lap and onto the end table.
"Us" She sighed. "I know that this is crazy".
Elliot shook his head. "No, it's not crazy. It's us. We aren't conventional people, Liv".
She chuckled. "I know".
"I have to ask though, why did you choose now to ask me?"
"Honestly, our relationship is the longest I've ever had with a man. You are my best friend Elliot, and I think that we can do this. We can get married, have children, and be happy together. We've known each other for so long that we don't have to go through that dating stage. You know everything about me,even the things that I wish I could forget, and you're still here. I know that you have your demons too, but I could never not be in your life. You make me happy, simple as that. I know that doesn't explain why I want to do this so fast but-"
Elliot cut her off with his lips, taking both her breath and her thought away. When he pulled back, he saw that she was trying to get her train of thought back.
"I'm sorry, but how was I supposed to resist kissing you after that?"
She rested her head against his shoulder, taking in the moment. Everything was happening so fast, but that was the plan. They weren't getting any younger, so why wait to be happy?
"I think I get why we're doing it like this though" Elliot started, looking down at her. "I think that you want us to get married as soon as possible so we can have the fresh start that comes with such a big change. You want to be Olivia Stabler, wife, mom, and detective".
Hearing him call her Olivia Stabler gave her butterflies in her stomach. He had hit it right on the mark. She wanted to start over and have a clean slate, and to have the family that she had dreamed of ever since she was a little girl.
"You figured that all out on your own? Good job, detective" She teased, trying to keep the mood light.
"I figured that out because I feel the same way, Liv. I don't doubt that there will be arguments and struggles ahead, but I think that we can handle it. I just want to end this chapter of my life, and start the next one with you".
She wasn't surprised that he understood where she was coming from. That's just another example of why she proposed this set up. At the same time, she was slightly disappointed in them. They were engaged and yet neither of them had stepped up and actually used the words that they needed to hear. He had to love her, or he wouldn't have asked her to marry him and bought such a beautiful ring, right? The thought was pushed aside for the time being. Tonight was their night to relax and celebrate.
She was brought out of her thoughts by the feeling of Elliot's lips on her neck, easily finding her sweet spot. It amazed her how it felt like he had memorized a map of her body, naturally gravitating to the spots that drove her crazy. They indulged in a steamy makeout session when they first got back to his apartment, but he had put an end to it when he got a little too worked up. They drank some wine and snuggled up on the couch until her stomach growled, bringing them to their current wished that they had gone further, but she understood why Elliot wanted to wait. He had explained that despite their engagement, he was going to do this right. He wanted to take her out on two more dates before they went all the way. It was just another weird thing about their current relationship.
"El" She warned. "You're such a tease".
"Sorry" He mumbled against her neck. He pulled back a bit, observing his fiance. "I have a couple of questions actually".
"Shoot".
"I want to know what our next step is, and when we want to get married, and where we're going to live?"
"Anything else?" She joked.
"Nope, those will do for now".
"Let's tackle the wedding first, because I think that determines how fast everything else has to happen".
Moments like this reminded Elliot of the day he first met Olivia. He had expected her to take the backseat since it was her first day in the Special Victims Unit, but that's not what happened at all. She had a set plan the moment she arrived on the scene, and made sure that everyone else knew that. To some she may have come off as a bit bossy, but he knew that she was just doing her job. Her every move was calculated, even when she was put on the spot.
"When do you want to get married?"
"I was thinking that we could do a small ceremony two months from now".
He did the math in his head. "The end of December?" He asked, just to clarify.
"Yeah. Think about it, we would get married right at the end of the year. It'd mark the beginning of a new year, and the start of a new chapter".
He could see the twinkle in her eyes, the one that was only there when she was extremely passionate about something. She had a vision for their wedding, and he wanted to be everything she dreamed of. He wasn't sure exactly how long ago it had happened, but the main goal in his life was to give Olivia the happiness she deserved. Maybe that's why he was so willing to dive into this relationship head first.
"That's beautiful, Liv. I say let's do it".
He noticed that she was trying to bite back her grin, and he wanted to say something about it, but he was still scared of pushing her too far too fast. Even though this was her idea, Elliot knew that there was a chance that Olivia would try to run, because that's unfortunately what she does when relationships get complicated.
"We can pick an exact date later. Now we know that we have two months to get everything together. So, the next question is, where do you want to live?"
He loved how she made it sound so simple, as if they could just snap their fingers and there'd be a solution.
"Well, we want to have kids, so why don't we start looking at houses? I know that you've lived in the city your whole life, but it's not like we'll be far away".
Much to his surprise, she fully agreed with him. She told him that she wanted their kids to have room to play, and a yard to get dirty in. She really had thought everything through before asking him to marry her.
"Until then, why don't I move in with you? My lease is up next month so the timing really is perfect" Elliot suggested. Things were going well so far, almost too well.
"You know, I think that's actually enough for one night, don't you? It's been a busy day".
Olivia laughed. "Tell me about it. I'm exhausted. I barely slept at all last night".
"Why?" Elliot asked, genuinely concerned.
"I was thinking about what would happen today. I had a nightmare last night where you told me that I was desperate and you never talked to me again".
"That would never happen, Liv. We only went a couple of months without talking to each other when you were undercover in Oregon and I barely managed".
"Did I ever tell you that I was saying your name in my sleep while I was away? The first time someone said something to me about it was when we were in the hospital. Apparently I had been doing it every night for a month". She couldn't believe that she had just told him that. Her cheeks turned bright red.
"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about here. I find it very sweet and I'm glad that you were thinking about me almost as much as I was thinking about you".
That was enough for one day. He could tell that Olivia was getting overwhelmed, so he decided to change the subject.
"Are you tired?"
She nodded, letting out a soft yawn.
"I'll get you something to wear for bed".
She had completely forgotten that she was still wearing her dress. "Thank you".
He conveniently "had to get a drink" when it was time for her to change, which she appreciated. Elliot was doing his best to give her the space she needed. She knew that she made the right choice, but it was still overwhelming. So much had happened in one day and now she needed to rest and take it all in. Elliot seemed to be doing alright so far, but it would catch up to him eventually. They could handle it. They were well experienced when it came to working things out, especially when there was a decent amount of pressure added on top. Elliot knocked on his own bedroom door, which made her chuckle.
"Come in, El".
"Wow...you should wear my clothes more often".
"I agree. They are so comfy". She loved the sweatshirt he had given her. It was baggy and the sleeves were too long. He had given her a pair of gym shorts too, and she felt so free compared to the form fitting dress.
She laid down on what she had claimed as her side of the bed, pulling the covers on top of her. Elliot switched off the lights before settling in next to her. She could feel his eyes on her. It only took a moment for her to figure out why. She gave him some of the blanket, remembering that she would have to share.
"I can't promise that I won't take it back in my sleep" She warned.
"Liv, please don't take this the wrong way, but are you okay? I know a lot has happened today and I just want to make sure you feel good about it" Elliot asked with the gentlest tone she had ever heard him use.
"I feel very light right now. This huge weight that I've been carrying around for months has been lifted off my shoulders. I just need to rest and reset".
"Okay" Elliot said. "I just wanted to check on my best friend, fiance, and partner". He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, running his fingers through her loose curls. "Get some sleep".
Elliot awoke a few hours later, shivering. He could see that Olivia had made a blanket mountain on top of herself. She was laying with her back facing him, curled up. He scootched over until his chest was against her back, spooning her. Even though he knew she would take it again, he tugged the blanket back into place, covering the both of them. Her hair was all over his face and the arm that he had snaked under her pillow was already losing feeling, but he was the happiest he had been in a long time, and that was because the sleeping woman next to him.