Elliot paid for their shots, put on his jacket and helped Olivia into hers. They stepped out of the bar into the cool night air, Olivia looked at her watch, it was later than she thought but she didn't want the night to end.
"El, what are we doing?" she asked.
"We're walking on the street after a night of drinking with our friends." He said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Come on, I'll walk you home." He concluded.
Olivia was still reeling from what Elliot had done in the bar, but as they walked closer to her apartment she started to feel a kind of fear, she didn't know exactly why but she thought it might have something to do with the fact that she knew Elliot would have to leave her soon.
They reached the front door of her apartment building, the both came to a halt and Olivia looked at Elliot.
"El?" she said sheepishly.
"Yeah, Liv?" he asked.
"Do you want to come up for a coffee?" she asked, hoping he would know that she just didn't want to be alone yet. She looked at him, her big brown eyes glistening.
"Of course Liv." He said with a smile.
He walked up to her door and held it open for her. She gave him a small smile and walked past, heading for the stairs. Her perfume engulfed his nose and her smell gave him goose bumps. He didn't know what was happening to him but he liked the way she made his heart swell and he liked that she protected him and he protected her.
Elliot had been separated from Kathy for over a year now and he hadn't felt like this in a long time, the way Olivia made him feel was different to the way Kathy had made him feel, and he knew now just how much Liv meant to him. Kathy gave him five amazing children but he didn't feel excited anymore, with Olivia it was different, when she laughed and her nose crinkled he felt like he was going to collapse, when she bit her bottom lip whilst she was writing up her case files he could feel his chest tightening and most of all when they were interrogating a perp together and Olivia was being the 'bad cop' Elliot thought she was the most sexy and beautiful. She fuelled his imagination, fantasies and his heart. He couldn't believe he was just realising this now, he felt like a fool. Sure, he had flirted in the bar but that was just a little bit of alcohol induced fun. He thought. Clearly, he was wrong.
They climbed the stairs to Olivia's apartment and Elliot waited as she searched for her keys and unlocked her door. She stepped in, Elliot following and closing her door.
"Have a seat, El. Can I get you that coffee?" she asked sweetly.
"I'll have whatever you're having." He smiled.
"Beer it is then." She stated.
They drank their beers and talked first about work, they laughed about Munch and Fin's latest antics in the precinct. They spoke about Elliot's kids, Olivia listened with wonder about them. She loved his kids with all of her heart, as if they were her own, especially little Eli. She helped deliver him so she felt a stronger connection to him. He was so cute, she hoped Elliot was as cute when he was Eli's age. Elliot told her Eli's funniest stories and Olivia laughed hard and her eyes glistened. When Elliot saw that smile and her beautiful eyes when he spoke about his son it made him realise he was missing only one thing to make his life complete. He had the beautiful kids, he had the fantastic career, fair enough he did go through a hard and slightly messy divorce but Olivia always supported him through it never taking any personal advantages when he was at his lowest and that is how he knew he had to be with her, be her partner, not just at work. This sudden realisation made his face drop, his palms sweaty and his heart beat uncontrollably fast.
"El, are you okay? You look like you're having an existential crisis." Olivia chuckled.
Elliot's eyes met hers, her beautiful chocolate doe-like eye, she looked at back at him, confused.
Elliot leaned closer to her, closing his eyes and putting his hand on her thigh. The moment was too fast for Olivia to process. In less than a second Elliot had closed the space between them. After more than a decade together Elliot was kissing Olivia. Finally.