A/N: So sorry for the long wait. So our lovebirds are throwing a housewarming party. No big deal, right? There's no drama to be had on such a festive occasion lol. I love these two so any drama to be had will be short-lived because the show gave us enough angst to last a lifetime. Don't forget to leave your reviews! XOXO

I stood in front of my full-length mirror, looking unsurely at the strapless floral Dolce and Gabbana dress I'd bought for the housewarming party. I couldn't decide if it was perfect or too much. I heard Fitz's footsteps as he came back into the room.

"Wow," he said, looking at my reflection. "You look amazing Livvie."

I blushed at his compliment then turned to look at him. He wore a gray button down and dark wash jeans. I replied, "You can't wear gray. It doesn't go with my dress, baby." I remembered the shirt I'd bought for him earlier that week. "Oh! I have the perfect thing." I went into my closet and retrieved the shopping bag. "I was in Prada earlier this week and I got you the most fabulous shirt."

"Fabulous? Am I a 'fabulous' shirt kind of guy?" he asked when I came back into the room. I grinned as I handed him the bag. He pulled the lavender shirt from the bag and looked at it. "It's lavender, Liv…"

"I know. Lavender looks great with blue eyes," I replied. He looked at me skeptically. I frowned, disheartened that he didn't like the shirt. "I should have gotten you the navy one. It's fine. I can exchange it."

He walked over and wrapped his arm around my waist. He pinched my cheek—something only he could get away with doing—and looked down at me sweetly. "Don't make that face, Livvie." I gave him a lopsided smirk. He kissed the tip of my nose. "I'll wear the shirt."

"But you don't like it," I replied.

"I like you." He smiled at me and my heart flipped. I stood on tiptoe to kiss him, my hands going to the buttons on his shirt. He smiled against my mouth. "Are you trying to get something started?"

I smiled as I pulled away from him. "No. Change your shirt." He made a show of slowly slipping out of his shirt. I tried not to stare at his chest. I croaked, "I know what you're doing and it's not gonna work, Fitzgerald."

"I'm just changing my clothes," he replied innocently as he slipped on the new shirt. It fit him just as I hoped it would. He asked, "Why is it so tight?"

"Why are you muscular?" I teased as I walked over to finish buttoning his shirt. I fixed his collar then rubbed his freshly shaved cheeks. The minute his hands locked on my waist, I knew I had made a mistake getting close to him. He picked me up and carried me to the dresser, setting me on top of it. I protested, "Fitz… We can't. People are supposed to start showing up in 20 minutes."

He moaned something against my neck, his hands under my dress to pull off my deep purple panties. He grunted, his teeth on my collarbone, when I wouldn't lift my hips then changed tactics. He pushed my panties aside. I moaned when his fingers slid inside me, ashamed of how wet I was. He had turned me into a bona-fide sex addict. "Fitz please… Oh God… 20 minutes…"

"I'll be done by then," he murmured. I heard a soft thud as his pants hit the floor.

"We ca—" I forgot every word I'd ever learned when he pressed against my entrance. My fingers knotted in his hair and I finally lifted my hips, moaning loudly when he pushed in to the hilt. Before we could get going, the doorbell rang.

"Fuck," we both groaned. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to pull out of me, but he stayed put, looking at me with feverish eyes.

"Give me 10 minutes," he implored.

"Fitz…"

He sighed and reluctantly pulled out. "Whoever is at that door is gonna get their ass kicked so hard."

I laughed as he pulled me off the dresser. I fixed my underwear then went to answer the door. Abby stood on the other side, gorgeous in a fitted navy cocktail dress and sparkly Louboutins. She held a bottle of champagne and a red gift box. She smirked at me, announcing, "You have a hickey."

"Fuck." My face burned as my hand immediately flew to the spot where I knew the hickey was. It was Fitz's favorite spot to suck on, just above the dip in my collarbone. "Is it bad?"

"Bad enough," Abby replied as she stepped inside. She looked around the rearranged living room with a smile. "I love what you've done Liv! It's so grown up and home-y."

"I didn't spend three hours looking at upholstery swatches for 'grown up and home-y' Abby. Try a little harder," Fitz teased as he came into the room. I smiled when he wrapped his arms around me. He looked down at me and announced, "You've got a hickey babe."

"Gee I wonder where I got that," I teased.

"Nice shirt, Fitz. Did you steal it from Liv's closet?" Abby joked. I laughed and squeezed his hands.

Fitz looked down at me. "I'm never wearing this shirt again."

I laughed and reached up to rub his cheek.

XXXXX

The party was in full swing within an hour. Cyrus and James arrived as fashionably late as someone as tightly wound as Cyrus could manage. James immediately moved the coffee table and plugged up his phone to play music he could dance to. Cyrus downed a few shots then went to join the growing number of people moving to the music.

"Here alone?" Fitz asked with a grin as he leaned against the gift table where I was arranging our presents.

"That depends." I smiled at him. He seemed a little tipsy. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Always," he replied as he took my hand to lead me to the dance floor.

"How about a little room for Jesus?" Abby called as Fitz and I grinded to "Drunk in Love."

"Go home Abby!" Fitz called back, making everyone laugh.

The doorbell rang and I reluctantly left Fitz on the dance floor to answer it. Stephen stood on the other side, grinning handsomely.

"Is your cute redheaded friend here?" he asked, bypassing a greeting.

"Hi Stephen. Yes my dress is new. Thanks for noticing," I replied sarcastically.

Stephen laughed. "You look very nice, Liv." He handed me a large gift bag. "Don't be fooled by the size; it's just a cookbook and some over mitts." We laughed. "Now where's the redhead."

"Abby's on the dance floor," I replied with a smirk as I pointed her out. I wondered when Abby and Stephen had made each other's acquaintance and why she hadn't said anything. I decided to grill her later.

I shut the door then looked around for Fitz. I heard his tipsy laugh coming from the kitchen.

"There's my girl!" he exclaimed as I approached the island where he and a redhead I didn't recognize were talking. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my temple. I was eyeing the redhead, wondering who she was and why she had been touching Fitz's arm when I entered.

"So this is the famous Olivia!" she chirped. I smiled politely at her. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Janine. I've heard so much about you from Fitz at work that I feel like we're already friends!"

I shook her hand, smiling thinly as I looked from her to Fitz. "Well you have me at a disadvantage. I haven't heard anything about you. Fitz is adamant about not bringing his work home though." I turned to look at Fitz, my smile murderous. "Baby, can I talk to you in private?"

He looked like he wanted to be anywhere except away from witnesses but nodded. "Sure Livvie."

I took his hand, my nails digging into the back of it, then called over my shoulder, "Nice to meet you Jennifer."

"It's Janine," she called back.

In our bedroom, I shut the door then turned on him. "Who the fuck is that?"

"She's a TA in the department. She's new," he answered.

"Stay away from her," I commanded.

"I can't really—"

I cut him off. "Unless you want me to rip every hair off her head, stay away from her."

"Liv you don't have to worry about me with anyone else," he insisted.

"I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about her. I saw the way she looked at you, like she's just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on you."

"Liv—"

"I know what I'm talking about!" I boomed, louder than intended. My blood was practically boiling. "You're working late and she's there, and she starts flirting with you and it's new and exciting because so different from me. Suddenly you want her just because you can't have her. I've seen it happen, Fitz."

He blinked. "Edison?"

I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself. "Some new teller at the bank. He insisted that it was nothing, that she was just nice. It didn't sit right with me, but I didn't want to be paranoid. And then she kissed him, and he let it go on." I sniffed then looked up at him. "Just stay away from her. Please."

He stepped into my personal space and took hold of my face. I couldn't look at him. He murmured, "Look at me, Olivia." I shook my head, ashamed of myself for letting my baggage drag us down. He implored, "Look at me." I looked up at him with a doleful frown. He stared at me. "Olivia…" My face relaxed. There was so much love in his eyes. He smiled. "There you are."

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"I'll stay away from her," he replied.

I shook my head. I was being silly. Fitz was nothing like Edison. "You don't have to do that. I trust you."

"You are the most important person in my life, Livvie," he replied. "And if she makes you uncomfortable, she makes me uncomfortable."

I smiled, bringing my hands up to frame his face. "I love you. So much."

"Enough for a quickie?" He smiled like a child eager to have his way.

I smirked at him. "There are 30 other people in our apartment right now."

"We'll be quiet," he insisted.

"Because we're known for that," I replied sarcastically. I ran my fingers through his hair. "The party's almost over. When everyone's gone, we'll have some fun."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "What kind of fun?"

"I have a meeting with a certain professor about fixing some low test grades." I grinned wickedly.

"Well Ms. Pope I've seen those grades and you're going to have to work very hard to improve them," he replied, smiling back.

"Oh I plan to." I slipped out of his grasp and he swatted my butt as we left the bedroom.

In the living room, people were still dancing and having a good time. Abby and Stephen were sitting on the couch, feeding each other chips and queso dip.

James smiled when he spotted us. "There are the lovebirds! Snuck off for a quickie?"

"Shut up you drunk!" I replied, laughing at his slightly slurred speech.

"Open the pillows" Abby whooped. Her whole face was bright red and her smile was drunkenly crooked. She'd bought us a set of wine glasses and a beautiful carafe. Stephen got me the Smitten Kitchen cookbook and a set of oven mitts. Cyrus and James got us a set of navy blue His and Hers towels and bed sheets.

"This is from Cam," James said as he handed me a gift bag that contained a throw pillow that read, "He stole my heart so I'm stealing his last name".

I showed it to Fitz. He laughed. "Just what our bed needs: another pillow."

Janine got us a dry-erase "Honey Do" board to hang on the refrigerator. Fitz insisted it was just another way for me to boss him around. I pointed out that I was the one who usually did the household chores. The girls from the bakery, Anna and Jodi, got us a wine and cheese basket.

"Now this is a present!" Fitz exclaimed. He held up a lacy white apron that someone had bought for me.

I laughed as I took his from him. "This is cute but I'm never gonna wear it."

"We'll see about that," he teased, pinching her cheek.

XXXXX

"No." Fitz had been secretive and sneaky ever since the party and I couldn't figure out why. At first I thought he was looking at engagement or something magical like that. Then he came home unusually chipper and revealed a surprise that dashed my wedding dreams.

"Come on. It's a luxury cabin," he implored. He wanted to go off into the wilderness in the national park for 10 days to hike and fish and do other outdoorsy things that he'd never known me to enjoy.

"No," I repeated. He'd have to drag me kicking and screaming. He walked over and wrapped his arms around me, kissed my neck. "You're not going to seduce me into going, Fitz."

"Come on Livvie; it'll be fun. You and me in the great outdoors," he insisted.

"If the outdoors is so great, how come people have spent centuries improving the indoors so much that people never want to leave?" I argued with a smirk.

"Think about it: me and you going on hikes, fishing, swimming in the lake, looking at the stars," he murmured against my neck. "The cabin has a fireplace, and a big tub. We can build a blanket fort in the living room and roast marshmallows in the fire. Doesn't that sound fun?"

It sounded like the perfect getaway when put that way. I turned around, leaning against the counter, to smile at him. "You should've lead with that, baby. When do we leave?"

"In the morning," he answered with a victorious smile.

I blinked at him. "What if I hadn't agreed?"

He shrugged. "I was drag you kicking and screaming." I laughed. He grabbed my chin, leaning so close that our noses were touching. "Pack light and sensible." I rolled my eyes. "Repeat after me: light and sensible."

"Light and sensible," I replied sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Olivia Carolyn." I smirked at him using my middle name. "Shorts, t-shirts, sandals, sneakers, and one swimsuit. You're gonna need baseball caps and sunscreen and a raincoat. No curling irons or straighteners or makeup."

"So I'm gonna look like a hobo the whole trip?" I pouted at him.

He smiled and kissed my nose. "You're gonna look cute just you look now."

I smirked at him. "This is gonna suck."

He smiled and poked my side. "Baby life sucks."

XXXXX

After bribing me with breakfast for Cracker Barrel, we set off for our adventure in the "great outdoors." I slipped off my flip flops put my feet on the dashboard.

"How long is this drive gonna be?" I asked as I turned up the radio.

"Hour and a half, maybe two," he answered as he pushed my hand away from the radio and changed to a country station. I groaned. He loved country music. I only found it mildly tolerable. He began to sing along with the radio. "God gave me you for the ups and downs/God gave me you for the days of doubt/And for when I think I've lost my way/There are no words here left to say it's true/God gave me you." He reached over and took my hand. "I want this song played at our wedding."

I looked over at him in surprise. "We're having a wedding?"

"Well, yeah. That's usually what people who do when they want to get married," he answered with a smirk. "It doesn't have to be our first dance, but we have to dance to it at some point."

I gave him a goofy grin. "I love you."

"I would hope you do since I'm dragging you to the woods for 10 days," he replied, grinning at me. I looked at him skeptically. "We're gonna have fun, Livvie."

"Unless we get eaten by bears," I deadpanned.

He let go of my hand and pinched my cheek, something only he could get away with doing. "There are no bears in the state park."

"You say that now, but what about when we wake up and they're camping out outside the cabin?"

He smirked. "We don't go outside."

XXXXX

"We you said luxury cabin, I pictured something completely different babe," I said as I hopped out of his Jeep. The cabin looked like it was made of Lincoln Logs. It was more cute and quaint than luxury. I looked around at the wilderness surrounding the cabin. Everything was beautifully lush and green. The air smelled like pine and a pleasant breeze blew through the trees.

"It's a cabin, Liv. This is what they look like," he replied as he pulled our luggage out of the Jeep. "Tell me again why you have three bags when I specifically said to pack lightly and sensibly?"

"One is clothes, one is shoes, one is hats and toiletries," I explained. He looked at me like I was crazy. "What? That's sensible. I've got ten pairs of shorts, ten t-shirts, a few over-shirts, my raincoat, and my new bikini. In the shoe bag, I've got three pairs of sandals, some flip flops, my rain boots, and some Keds." He smirked at me. I scoffed, "I couldn't just throw everything in a suitcase like you."

"Because God forbid Her Majesty's clothes and shoes touch!" he teased. I smirked at him as I picked up clothes bag. "Honestly, only you would bring Louis Vuitton luggage to the woods, Livvie."

"That's the only luggage I have, baby," I replied laughing as I walked toward the cabin.

Albeit small, the cabin was gorgeous. It consisted of four rooms: a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a bedroom. The furniture was sparse and rustic. The walls were exposed brick. I noticed the huge tub in the bathroom as I carried my bag to the bedroom. The bed was enormous, with pristine white sheets. Above the bed was a large square skylight. I placed my bag in front of the closet door then sat on the bed, waiting for Fitz.

"I didn't need you to grab any more bags. Thanks for offering though," he said as he walked into the bedroom, laden with my two other bags, his duffel, and his backpack. He put them down next to my bag then looked at me. "Did you see the wall?"

I looked over at the wall he gestured to then went to pull back the curtains, revealing a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Oh," I breathed, looking out at the scenic landscape. I had completely underestimated the beauty of the place. I looked back at him. "Okay. You win. I was wrong. This place is gorgeous."

"See that little path?" Fitz asked, coming over to wrap his arms around me. He pointed at a little break in the trees. "It leads to a little lake. Tomorrow, we're gonna hike it and I'm gonna teach you to fish."

I wasn't one for hiking or fishing, but I was willing to give anything a try with him. I asked, "What do I wear to fish and hike?"

"Your bikini, shorts, a t-shirt, a ball cap," he answered. "Did you bring sunscreen?" I nodded. "Are you happy we're here?"

I shook my head, trying not to smile. He started tickling me, something else only he could do. He demanded, "Tell the truth!"

"I hate it!" I lied. He tickled me hard enough to make my legs give out then squatted over me to continue his assault on my ribs. "Okay! Okay! I'm happy!" Tears were streaming down my cheeks. "Stop! I'm gonna pee!"

He relented and picked me up off the floor. "What do you wanna do now princess?"

"We should probably go grocery shopping since we only brought booze," I answered.

He gave me a cute frown. "I don't wanna go."

I smiled at him and pinched his cheeks. He was like a child when it came to grocery shopping. "Well you're going. I'm in the wilderness for you, baby."

XXXXX

The next morning I was awakened unceremoniously by Fitz throwing back the curtain and flooding the room with sunshine.

"Get up, Livvie!" he boomed. I squinted at him as he pulled the covers off me. When I didn't stir, he delivered a firm smack to the exposed bottom half of my butt cheek.

I yawned as I rolled over. "I miss the days when all you wanted was to sleep in and have sex."

"There's gonna be sex baby," he promised. "Tonight, we're gonna break that tub in. But right now, you need to get dressed so we can get to the lake."

I squinted at the clock on the nightstand. It was 7:30 in the morning. "It's 7:30 in the morning. We've literally got all the time in the world."

"No we don't. Fish are just waking up. We've got a very small window before it gets too hot," he replied. "Up and at 'em."

I tumbled out of bed and went over to my suitcase. I pulled out red shorts and a chambray button up from J. Crew, tossing them on the bed followed by my new American flag bikini, bought specifically for our rendezvous in the great American wilderness. I asked, "Should I wear flip flops or sneakers?"

"I'd wear sneakers since we're hiking out there," he answered. I nodded and pulled out my leopard print Vans.

"Those aren't sneakers," he said. I could practically hear him smirking.

"They're as close as I've got unless I wear my Keds," I replied.

"Keds aren't really any different."

"Well shit. I'm out of options here, Fitz."

"I feel like you should've told me you didn't have sneakers so we could've stopped and gotten you some, Livvie." He was suddenly behind me, his hands on my butt.

"I didn't know I needed actual sneakers," I explained, standing upright then turning to face him. I ran my fingers through his sleepy curls. I smiled. "Good morning."

He wrapped his arms around me, his hands quickly making their way to their previous position squeezing my butt. "Good morning."

I grinned impishly at him. "Wanna share a shower?"

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work," he replied with a smirk. It was my turn to smirk when his erection poked my stomach.

"It already has," I teased. He picked me up and carried me into the bathroom.

XXXXX

"Why do you keep scratching?" Fitz asked after we'd been fishing a while.

"Because I'm itching," I replied. My thighs had been itching since a rather unpleasant bathroom trip behind a tree.

"Did you actually wipe with leaves? I was just joking about that." He put down his fishing rod then came over to squat next to me.

"No. I'm not an idiot. I had Kleenex," I answered, scratching my stomach.

"Stand up," he instructed. I did and he examined the backs of my thighs. "Shit. It looks like poison ivy, Livvie. Where exactly did you squat?"

"Behind that tree." I pointed out the tree a few feet away. He walked over and looked at the ground.

"Yep. You squatted on poison ivy, baby," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"What do we do? Do I need a doctor?" I was instantly panicking. I had never had poison ivy but everything I'd ever heard had me terrified.

Fitz walked over to me and looked at my thighs, reaching out to gingerly lift my shirt to look at my stomach. "Nah. It doesn't look that bad. You just need a little hydrocortisone cream and some calamine lotion. We'll have to go to the camping store." He began packing up his tackle box. I stood where I was, scratching my thighs. Without looking at me, he called over his shoulder, "Stop scratching, Livvie. You're gonna spread it."

I stopped but only for a few minutes. We walked back to the cabin then drove to the camp store. Fitz me wear oven mitts he found in the kitchen to keep me from scratching. He bought hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion, and rubber gloves then drove us back to the cabin.

"Take off your clothes," he instructed, holding out a brown paper bag to collect them. I stripped down to my underwear. "Those too." I reluctantly removed my bra and panties, pouting as I tossed them into the bag. He looked at my frowning face. "We're not gonna throw them away, Livvie. They just have to be washed."

"Oh," I replied, relieved. He put the bag down then put on the blue rubber gloves then squirted the hydrocortisone cream in his palm. I smirked down at him. "You know, this would be sexy if I wasn't itching so badly."

He looked up at me and smiled. "I'm not touching you for at least three days, you pervert."

I laughed as he rubbed the cream on my red stomach. My laughter quickly stopped when the cream burned my irritated stomach. "Shit! That hurts!"

"It wouldn't if you'd stopped scratching when I told you to," he replied with a smirk as he moved on to my thighs. "The calamine lotion will soothe it baby."

The lotion worked for a while but Fitz ended up having to consult Google for some other way of soothing my raw skin a few hours later when I was practically climbing the walls to keep from scratching. He filled the tub with warm water then poured in the oatmeal I'd brought to make him cookies.

"This sucks," I whimpered as I sat in the water, rubbing the mush on my thighs. I was very near tears. Between my seared flesh and the prospect of our whole trip being ruined, everything was hitting me hard. It also didn't help that I had PMS.

"Don't cry baby," he said softly, rubbing my cheek. I blinked away tears. "We're still gonna have so much fun. In a few days, your skin will be back to normal and we can do all the stuff I was telling you about." I shook my head, crying like a toddler. He ran his fingers through my hair soothingly. "Shhh, Livvie. Stop crying. Come on. I've got an idea. Do you wanna hear it?" I nodded. "There's a fire pit out back. We can make s'mores and watch movies on my laptop. How does that sound?"

I hiccupped. "Can we watch The Way We Were?"

"Of course we can," he replied. "I'm gonna go light the fire. Are you gonna be okay in here by yourself?"

"Yeah," I whimpered, wiping my eyes. He pinched my cheek affectionately before leaving the bathroom.

XXXXX

"Wanna know something crazy?" Fitz asked, rousing me from the slumber I was slipping into with my head on his chest as we sat before the fire pit.

"Yeah," I yawned. I was sufficiently soothed of itching by the oatmeal bath and stuffed with s'mores and white wine. I had seldom been so content.

"I was gonna propose by the lake," he replied. I was instantly wide awake, staring at him with shocked eyes.

"You're lying!" I exclaimed.

He smiled. "Nope. I had the ring and everything." I couldn't form words. I just stared at him with my jaw slightly slack. He shrugged cutely. "Oh well. There's still plenty of time for that."

"Can I see the ring?" I begged, giving him my best doe eyes. "Please, please, please!"

"Not a chance," he replied smugly. I huffed, scooting away from him and crossing my arms. He smirked at my pouting then said, "If you go looking for the ring and find it—although I highly doubt you will because I've hidden it pretty damn well—I'm gonna take it back to the store and I won't propose for at least a year. I meant it Olivia Carolyn."

He knew me too well. I huffed, "Fine. Just know that I'm so not your friend any more."

"I'll live." He grinned at me, reaching over to pinch my cheek. I pulled my face away. He laughed at me.

XXXXX

The next 8 days were full of sun and fun. After I wasn't contagious anymore, we finally christened the tub then the floor in front of the fireplace. We defiled our blanket fort and the hammock hanging between two large trees a few feet away from the fire pit. As much as I begged and pleaded and bargained, he wouldn't show me the ring. I went through his things, mindful of his serenely smiling face watching me smugly from the bed but came up empty.

"So—tell the truth—was this our best trip yet or what?" he asked as I drove us home. Because he wouldn't budge on the ring situation, he allowed me to drive his precious Jeep the hour and a half home though he gave his imaginary brake a work out.

I tried not to smile at him. "It was fun until I found out you were holding out on me."

He laughed. "You're gonna have to let that go, Livvie."

"I won't until you show me the ring," I insisted.

"Well you're gonna be pressed for a long time," he replied with a cheeky smile.

"Asshole," I grumbled. He reached over and lightly tapped my lips.

"Potty mouth," he teased, laughing at me as I glared at him.

"Curse words are the only thing you're gonna be getting from this mouth until you come up off that ring," I threatened. It was an empty threat and we both knew it, but I was trying to stand my ground. I blinked at him. "Come on! At least describe it to me!"

He shook his head, singing along with the radio. I was even playing country music to cajole him. "She's got whatever it is/ It blows me away/ She's everything I wanna say to a woman but I couldn't find the words to say/ She's got whatever it is/ I don't know what to do/ Cause every time I try to tell her how I feel it comes out 'I love you'."

"What if I don't like it? What if you paid a shit ton of money for a ring I hate and I say no?"

He laughed. "One: you wouldn't say no if it was a ring pop. You love me, Olivia Pope. And two: you're not gonna hate it."

"How do you know?"

"I'm good at this boyfriend thing if you haven't noticed. I know my woman."

I smirked at him, knowing he was right.

A/N: So there are some wedding bells ringing in the future! How long is Fitz gonna string Olivia along? How does he know the ring is perfect? Don't forget to leave your reviews! XOXO