Chapter 7

Hope you enjoy a little pre-Halloween treat! With two updates in the same week that Mariska has an adorable interview on Late Night! Did any other fangirl peep the shoes she had on last night?! 3 -Next chapter coming soon…!

Morales had driven away, leaving the partners at the front of Olivia's building. They hadn't said much on the ride to here home, but the tension in the air between them was still thick.

"It's pretty late, you okay to drive home? You know I can make some coffee before you hit the road." Olivia said, already motioning towards the stairs of her stoop.

"Uh, you know what, I don't think that's a good idea." Elliot hadn't moved. His car was in a great spot for once, right in front of her door. He could take two steps and be on his way home in just a few seconds. But instead, his feet where firmly planted on the sidewalk.

"Oh. Okay." The disappointment in her voice was odd for him to hear. He was sure she wanted to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to do that just yet. He could still taste the sweetness of her skin as he bit his lip trying to think of how to get his body to move.

He was glad that once in the van, he had time to adjust himself and fix his belt situation under his coat. It was slightly more embarrassing to have the TARU tech notice Olivia's smeared lipstick and disheveled hair rather than his pants that where still partly opened. But he knew the tech could be trusted not to talk to the squad about anything that had happened in the playroom beyond what was needed for the case.

"Liv, the text you saw earlier. I should explain." He used the back of his thumb to scratch his jaw as he looked at the ground. Even back in their thick winter coats, he felt more exposed than he has all night.

"Nah, El, I was teasing you earlier. Whatever you and Kathy do or don't do is none of my business." Olivia put an understanding hand on his bicep. She could tell he was tense. They'd been together so long that she knew they had an untold foundation of trust… but now talking about this out loud was new territory.

"No, no, it's not what you think." He moved from under her touch, but not with any anger. Was he getting shy on his partner of over a decade? What gives?

"Do you remember the case where we found a Vic that worked at The Box a few years ago? She was a bathroom attendant and we found money and a condom with their logo on her?"

"Yeah, I went to get intel. It was that club run by all women. They even tried to recruit me after that case." She laughed at remembering how Elliot and former lab tech Ryan O'Hallaran had looked at her like she grew two extra heads when she recognized the logo. She had to explain to the men that the club was supposed to be female friendly, but she was sure it just made them question why she was so familiar with the neighborhood erotic establishment.

Olivia thought back to Elliot standing outside at the female run club. The seasoned detective looked like a scared puppy refusing to go in with her. A whole different Elliot than what she saw at the club tonight.

"Well that night I was telling Kathy about us going there and about a month later she was showing me her acceptance letter. I didn't know she had even signed up for it until she asked if I was free that weekend."

Oh. Well glad I didn't apply then, Olivia thought to herself.

"There was a workshop for couples she wanted to check out. Of course we ended up having to leave early when I got food poisoning from the sushi there. The first and last time I will ever try that." Elliot shook his head at the thought.

Olivia remembered him calling in sick for one of the few times in their partnership. He was usually the healthiest cop in the precinct, but after getting a hold of the raw fish, the Marine told her he would never touch seafood again.

She was trying to hide her surprised expression that Kathy would have applied for something like that, let alone convinced her husband to go with her.

"We hadn't been there or done a date night like that since Eli was born. But occasionally we like to check out something different than dinner and a movie, you know?" Elliot shrugged his shoulder.

Olivia was processing what Elliot was trying to say. Turns out her vanilla partner wasn't so plain. But she was more interested in finding out what the pass actually meant.

"But we only went out like that twice. Kathy always set the rules, but we'd never needed them before. Just attempted a couple of workshops, and either we left early or I got called into work."

"So tonight wasn't your first time at a swingers club then? Looks like I was the only newbie". Olivia teased.

"The workshop wasn't exactly a swingers club, Liv." He said sternly, wanting to state the difference. Defending his choice to open up wasn't his intention, he just wanted Olivia to know he wasn't trying to do anything he wasn't given permission to do. At least in his marriage.

"And you definitely looked more comfortable once we all got to the playroom." Elliot raised an eyebrow thinking about how quickly she fell into Langan's arms for most of the night. Olivia immediately noticed his stance change, like he was intimidating a perp by crossing his arms. But it only made her roll her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to shower off any of Cassandra's lipstick from your abs before you go home this late in the night?" Olivia quickly threw back at him. She smirked hoping to keep the light tone.

It worked.

He relaxed again, and they walked up the stoop steps to her front door as he shook his head at his partner. Part of him couldn't believe he had told her about that text. But also really wanted to use the dare to up the ante. Case or no case, he wouldn't have that opportunity to pass up. He kept licking his lips thinking about how how they still tingled.

"So umm..." She looked down with a scrunched face, repeating it in her head before vocalizing it. "I'm sorry about the whole "your-left, my-left…" uh, pocket.. thing." She was stumbling over her apology.

He let out a laugh, easing her embarrassment. If he was being honest, it should've been him that was embarrassed. Although what she found under his pocket wasn't something he was usually would be shy about.

"Ah, don't even worry about it, I was a little surprised you even showed some moves out there. Who knew you've been holding out on me all these years, Benson?"

"Oh you're the one to talk. Don't act like only thing you can throw down is the worst dad dance move on earth." Olivia jeered.

To his defense, he already began doing his signature dance move to rib his partner.

"I don't know what was more embarrassing. You doing the sprinkler at Maureen's graduation, or that that is literally the only dance move you know." Olivia laughed as Elliot stopped his proud impromptu dance off to playfully hit her shoulder.

"Hey, those moves are a classic. But definitely does nothing compare to what you threw down tonight." They both continued laughing.

Olivia could feel her phone vibrating in her purse as she searched for her keys again. The illuminated screen flashed as she pulled out her keys.

"I actually should be getting back before Kathy thinks I actually did use the club to my advantage. For all she knows I could be swinging from a pole by now."

Oh that was quite a visual to imagine. Elliot Stabler swinging around the pole, probably have all his clothes on the whole time but still looking like the sexiest entertainment in the room.

Olivia tried to shake her thoughts as her phone was going off again. She grabbed her phone and keys in the same hand, and Elliot saw she had an incoming message. He tried not to be nosy but he caught the contact name that scrolled across her iPhone.

"Got a hot date tonight Liv?" He motioned to her phone, knowing it wasn't work related.

She wanted to say she's got all the heat she could handle for one night! They where having fun in the middle of an already stressful case, and didn't need to press him for more information on whatever pass Kathy was giving Elliot. At least not yet. So she decided to change the subject instead.

"Stop snooping. You be safe getting home Stabler." She said as she walked into her building, hearing the dying beeps of her phone as she begins to take the stairs.

Just a little EO fluff. For the fangirls out there, The Box was mentioned in Season 6, Episode 20 "Night." Review and follow for more soon!