Fitz and Liv both dreaded getting out of bed Monday morning when their alarms went off simultaneously. They both silenced the sound-she turned her alarm off while he hit snooze-then rolled back toward each other. Meeting in the middle of the bed Fitz wrapped his arms around Liv and she snuggled into his chest. Their rest had come in spurts as he had woken her up twice during the night to initiate lovemaking sessions. After the last one they had slept peacefully until their phones intruded once again.

"Where is that noise coming from?" He lifted his head to locate the sound while his eyes remained closed. Liv's answer was muffled as she mumbled against his chest face.

When the sound continued Fitz lifted his head off of his pillow and cracked open an eye as his hand felt around the nightstand for his phone. Grabbing hold of the phone he shut off the alarm and grumbled in displeasure once he read the time. He dropped his head back onto his pillow and sighed. Upon hearing his exhalation Liv pulled the blanket over their heads and absently stroked his hair feeling his body relax as the stroking continued. She pressed a small kiss over heart and began to stretch her body. The movement pressed their bodies into even closer contact.

"Fitz, we have to start getting ready." She rolled away and sat up on her side of the bed scrolling through her phone.

He opened his eyes to survey her absently as the morning sun caressed her face. He was just as mesmerized by her presence as he had been during their first encounter. She enticed him and he found himself trying to commit her little idiosyncrasies to memory. The small smile that appeared when she reflected, how she paced in circles when something was wrong, the way her head tilted as she listened, the pleasure in her eyes when they met his. He loved how relaxed she was when she slept, her gasps when he was inside of her, how the things she added made this place seem like their home. He loved seeing her items near his, her growing snack collection, her lotion and soap next to his - everything was intermingling. He had not realized just how close he was to living an empty life until she had begun filling in the gaps. They were two complete individuals that still managed to enhance each other.

Fitz pushed himself up one hand running through his hair while the other scratched his chest. He turned his gaze toward the balcony and enjoyed the view.

"We should go somewhere, Liv."

"We are going somewhere, Fitz. We're getting ready to go to work." She was typing a message on her phone as she replied.

His gaze swung back towards her. "That is not what I meant. I was thinking more like a vacation. Just take our passports and go...somewhere." He reached out pulling her into his lap and snaked his arms around her loosely. He began nuzzling her neck.

"We can go somewhere warm and lounge on a beach. Frolic in the water like dolphins. We could end up in a cabin with mountain views and hot springs. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"

"Mmmhmmm..." Her head fell back onto his shoulder in response to his words and physical closeness. She raised one hand to tangle into his hair urging him to continue showering her neck with attention.

"Great. I'm glad you agree. We can figure out a timeline when things settle down at work. Now before we get ready for the day-"

"Oh no you don't! Don't think I can't see what you're trying to do. We don't have time for any funny business." Liv turned slightly in his lap and began to push against his chest.

Once she turned however Fitz took that opportunity to quiet her mouth with his own. He reached between them and found slick with heat. He turned her completely so that she straddled his lap and he raised his hips slightly to enter her. When her eyes fluttered shut a small gasp shuttered from her mouth at the entry.

He smiled against her lips then brought one hand up to grasp her neck while the other grabbed her behind urging her to ride him. She toyed with his bottom lip and began rolling her hips into him. As they began moving in sync their tongues tangled mimicking their lower halves. Fitz took his hand down from her neck and began rubbing her bud. The increased pleasure washed over her as she felt more warm heat building inside of her.

She was close-Fitz felt her clenching him inside of her. The heat and slick pleasure he found inside of her was amazing. He wanted to wrong more pleasure from her so he increased his attention to her bud and felt her explode around him. He pulled his mouth away from hers and opened his eyes to see her face as pleasure overtook her.

"Look at me." His voice was soft but commanding.

Brown eyes slowly opened to meet his. She watched his eyes dilate as his pupils began overtaking the cerulean. Their breathing was harsh as they fought for air as she continued to sink down onto him and raise off of him in a comfortable rhythm.

It wasn't enough. He needed more. He needed to get deeper. He wanted to imprint himself on her. She was stamped into his soul. His heart beat for hers and he put her onto her back tunneling into her. He grabbed her legs and pushed them forward and growled when he felt the penetration get deeper. He felt her nails biting into his shoulders and he growled out her name in response. He wanted her to come undone again. He wanted to wear her marks knowing that she had caused them due to the pleasure he had brought her. He changed his angle slightly and entered her harder. Her eyes snapped opened in response as her body shuddered once more.

As her sheath began vibrating he gritted his teeth against the pleasure. It was too good. He pulled out slightly and they both moaned at the slight loss before he rotated his hips and re-entered her. He felt a tingling at the base of his spine and he knew was close. He wrapped an arm under her anchoring her to him as he began to pound into her.

She responded by raking he nails down his back until she grasped his ass. She rocked her body into his answering every thrust with one of her own. He bent his body and his head turned into her neck. He reached behind him and linked their fingers holding their hands above her head. His pelvis ground into her and she felt herself come undone and they both screamed each other's names as waves of pleasure washed over them.

Fitz was the first to recover and rolled them over so that she was sprawled on top of him. He was rubbing her back with gentle strokes and she tucked her head into his neck. They laid together a while before Liv pushed herself up off of him and moved into the bathroom. He followed and they showered together then began getting ready for the day. Once they were dressed they shared a quick breakfast. They left in their own cars and headed to their offices.

Fitz had been bored throughout the morning and spent most of his time researching vacation locations. When he was done perusing sites he would stand in his office gazing out of his windows. He had stellar views of the city and the weight of what brought him the views sat heavy on his shoulders. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent off a text to Olivia.

Fitz: Missing you. Been looking at vacation locations and can't wait to share them with you. :)

Liv: I'm looking forward to seeing them. Shouldn't you be focused on work?

Fitz: But I am working...on making you happy. :)

Liv: You charmer. Real work. At the building with your name plastered on it.

Fitz: THAT kind of work...hmm, I suppose so. See you at home later?

Liv: Of course. :) Now get back to work!

He smiled and put his phone back into his pocket. He wished that he could turn away from it all but he knew that would be impossible. It was in his blood and while he did not desire to take over the reigns he was dedicated to preserving the business. There was a delicate balancing act required but he knew it was only a matter of time before more would be required. He rolled his shoulders as he felt tension beginning to know his muscles. He needed a release. He needed to run and feel his feet pound into the pavement. He wanted to feel the satisfaction that came from hitting a heavy bag or doing pull ups. He was not a suit. He needed more freedom.

Glancing down at his watch he saw that he had about fifteen minutes until it was time for the meeting that had been put into his calendar. He made his way down to the conference room already dreading having to sit through another meeting where he had to pretend to stomach Big Jerry's ideas for the company. Instead of sitting at the table he began pacing in front of the glass windows. He preferred being early to relax his mind but after being ill caused him to miss work last week he knew that Jerry had probably pounced the opportunity push his initiatives through to the board of directors. Placing his hands in his pockets he stopped pacing and rooted himself in front of a window to center himself.

Fitz was so lost in his own thoughts that he did not notice he was no longer in the room alone. Mellie Montgomery clasped her hands together and looked him over. It had been months since she had seen him in person and closer to a year since they had spoken. She was happy they would have more opportunities to be together now that the merger was complete. She would retain a senior position and had been given a seat on the board of directors. Just thinking of the closeness that could come from working in such close proximity excited her. Their physical relationship had been brief but she was more than ready to suggest they resume it. She looked around briefly wondering where Big Jerry and Cyrus were before returning her attention to Fitz. Ready to break the silence she walked over to him and placed her hand on his back.

"Fitz." The hand touching him broke his daze and upon hearing Mellie's voice he felt his jaw tighten as he ground his teeth. He waited a beat before turning his body so that her hand slid off of him.

"Mellie, I can't I'm surprised to see you here." Free from her touch he angled himself away from her.

"Now don't act like you aren't happy to see me, Fitz. This merger will mean great things for our business and personal lives. Think of all the time we'll be spending together at work." She flashed him a smile that did not quite reach her calculating eyes and laid a hand on his shoulder as she stepped closer trying to bridge the gap between them.

"We had some great times together in the past-" She tried batting her eyes at him after noticing his unresponsiveness.

"Those past times were alright. I was young and you made yourself available. I'm no longer interested in you." He grabbed her hand to remove it just as he heard the door open and turned his head at the sound.

Olivia was guided into the conference room but stopped short of entering the room. Fitz was standing very closely to Mellie having what seemed to be an intimate conversation. She took in the emotions flashing across his face and the pleasure on Mellie's. He was holding her hand but it was unclear if he was trying to remove it or had placed it there himself.

Seeing him and Mellie caused something to fracture and shift inside of her. Conflicting emotions began coursing through her. She was irritated at being summoned by Mellie. She was happy to see Fitz but not if they were going to have a business relationship. Their physical closeness hinted at a shared familiarity between them. She shook her head to clear her thoughts pasting a smile on her face as she fell back into business mode.

Fitz's mouth fell open slightly at seeing Olivia walk into the room. She was beautiful and though he had watched her getting dressed just this morning seeing her in work mode added something extra to her. His heartbeat quickened at seeing how good she looked. No sooner had that thought run across his mind he frowned slightly and saw the same reflected in her face. Mellie was far too close and he still had his hand on hers to remove it from him. It couldn't have looked any better than he now felt. His eyes met Olivia's gaze and tried to convey an apology but she would not hold his gaze and turned instead to talk to a sharp dressed man to her right. He felt a wave of possessiveness seize him after seeing the man casually pat her hand.

After seeing that brief touch his body began moving of its own accord removing Mellie's hand from its resting place on his body and propelling him towards Olivia. He was not thinking rationally-if he was he would have stopped and he would have taken her outside to speak privately. But he was not rational at that moment. He had been restless all day but the possessiveness he felt was controlling him now. Fitz needed to get Olivia further from the man and closer to him.

He was standing just in front of her and she stuck her hand out wanting to remain professional in this setting. Fitz shot a quick glance at the man to her right once more then he looked at the hand she had offered. She didn't want to acknowledge that she knew him on a personal level. That thought grated on his nerves and just as he moved to pull her into his arms Big Jerry and Cyrus breezed in.

Instead of shaking the offered hand he held out his arm and tucked her arm into his guiding her to the table. Knowing that he should sit across from her after pulling out her chair he instead took the seat to her left and her companion took the seat to her right. Big Jerry sat across from Fitz, Mellie across from Olivia and Cyrus looked across the table at Harrison.

"Well, how about we get the introductions out of the way." Big Jerry's booming voice introduced himself, Mellie, and his advisor Cyrus Beene.

"I'm Olivia Pope as I'm sure Mellie has informed you all and this is my business partner Harrison Wright." Olivia motioned towards him and he tipped his head in a slight nod to those across from him.

"Ms. Pope, Mr. Wright, thank you for meeting with us. Mellie spoke very highly of your services and we were interested in seeing if you could be persuaded to work for Grant Industries." Everyone on both sides of the table fixated their gaze on Olivia awaiting an answer.

"What exactly will the work entail? Grant Industries is already a strong company with strong branding." She spoke clearly trying to maintain her composure.

The idea of working with Mellie once again was draining but working with and for Fitz added far too many layers of complication. She did not mix her business life with her personal life and as far as she knew neither did Fitz. She needed space to think but that would have to wait. She rested her arms on the table in an effort to anchor herself.

Fitz picked up on her unease and it brought out his protective nature. He knew she was working to present a solid front and if he was overt she could be seen as weak which was not an option. He reached his right hand under the table and rested it on her thigh, rubbing lightly. He felt her muscle tighten briefly before it relaxed and he knew then that his touch had comforted her slightly.

This time it was Cyrus that spoke up. "We want to capitalize on Fitz's image-"

"My image? Excuse me?" Fitz leaned forward and bent his left arm on the table and rested his head in his hand. He felt his ears begin to heat in anger. He was starting to get the feeling he was being pushed around on an imaginary chess board. He involuntary squeezed Liv's leg and she quickly brought one hand to rest over his.

Pushing aside her own worries she felt Fitz's mood shift. She knew he did not being manipulated by his father under any circumstances. She rubbed small circles on the back of his hand then intertwined their fingers and noticed his breathing becoming even once more.

"As I was saying, we want to use your image. You sell. You're the legitimate heir to the company, Fitz! We want to keep the investors happy and that means we need to sell something the people want. Lucky for us we already know what they want and it's you. You're a business gold mine just waiting to be harvested." Cyrus was getting red in the face with excited as he continued explaining and wagged a finger in Fitz's direction.

"You've got business acumen, you're tall and good looking with a full head of hair and you're one of the world's most eligible bachelors! You are what the people want. You're who women want and you're what most men aspire to be. We cannot waste you when you're what they want. The public trusts you and if you become a spokesman we won't have to deal with any backlash from the merger. We need everyone to see that we are stable as a company even as we continue to expand into other markets. This is your duty, Fitz. If not for the company name think about all the jobs at stake if things get shaky." Cyrus finished his tirade and leaned back into his chair watching Fitz.

Fitz felt everyone's eyes as he let Cyrus' words sink in. The figurative weight he had felt on his shoulders earlier had increased exponentially. How could he deny them? He didn't see a way out of this.

He trained his gaze outside and thought about everyone working in the building and at other locations. They had come to rely on the Grant name and so had the investors. His tie began to feel tight around his neck. He knew they were all waiting for his response. He turned his gaze to Olivia and assessed everyone else.

"I need the room." Fitz's statement was soft but steely.

"Fitz-"

"I need the room. Now." His voice went even softer but his tone still held a hardened edge to it. He had not moved his gaze from Olivia's face and remained fixated on her until he heard the doors close signaling everyone else's departure.

They both shot out of their chairs once they realized they were alone. Liv began pacing in circles while Fitz moved towards the windows and loosened his tie. He shook his head in awe of just how quickly things could change. He had thought things were bad when they wanted him to step into his father's position. Now they wanted him to be the spokesperson and basically sell himself like a brand. He braced his arm against the window, unbuttoned his suit jacket and leaned his forehead on the cool glass.

Liv stopped pacing. This wasn't about her. Not right now. Fitz looked wrecked. He needed her to support him. She wasn't entirely sure of how either of them would balance the work and home balance between them if she agreed to take him on as a client.

She had pushed back any doubts she had about his past with Mellie when he had comforted her and been calmed when she had done the same for him. He needed more from her. She wished they could leave for the vacation he had brought up earlier. She wrung her hands together. It seemed so long ago but it had only been hours since they had been in bed together wrapped up in their own little world. The bubble had busted this afternoon.

"Fitz." His name crept out of her mouth as a whisper. She wasn't sure he had heard her until she saw his shoulders drop and he turned to face her.

He searched her face and found comfort in the strength of her gaze. He beckoned her with his head holding his arms open for her to step into them. He needed the contact. He needed reassurance. As her arms slid under his suit jacket he completed the circuit pulling her close. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head and inhaled her scent-a mixture of her jasmine vanilla soap and lotion and her own natural scent. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

"Livvie. This is a mess. I know this will probably cross the boundaries of what we're used to. I've never mixed my personal life with my professional life and I know that you're the same. But right here, right now...I need to know that even though this will take a lot of adjustment you won't bail. I'm not going anywhere. There's nowhere else for me to go and no one else to seek. You're it and I'm all in. I need to know that you believe we can get through this together." Cerulean eyes scanned brown eyes as he waited for her reply.

"Fitz, I'm in this. I think we can work it out if we establish some boundaries like not bringing work home with us. If we disagree during business hours it's just business. It isn't personal. We will keep our private life private." Her response was quick and boosted his confidence.

"I have one condition, Livvie. I agree that we can both keep work at work during business hours and separate our private life for the most part but you have to acknowledge our relationship even if we're working. I promise not to lay you across the nearest flat surface no matter how enticing you are. But I will not pretend that you're a stranger and that I don't love you. This business will be in our lives the rest of our lives so we should get used to being under scrutiny." He paused and laid a kiss on her forehead before he continued. "That's my only condition and then I'll be the easiest work project you've worked on. What do you say?"

"Fitzgerald Grant, you should have went into law-you'd make a killing. I agree to your terms but do your best to restrain yourself when others are around." She playfully pinched his side when she witnessed his face breaking into a lopsided grin.

"Hmm...I'll try but these suits you wear do something to me and then you get this bossy tone that just makes me-"

"Don't finish that sentence, Fitzgerald, before I change my mind about this agreement. Well, it seems that we've come to an agreement. Let's call them back in so we can go home already." He nodded in agreement and took her mouth in a slow, leisurely kiss, nipping her bottom lip lightly. She was the first to pull back and stepped back to straighten out his tie while he re-buttoned his suit jacket. He interlaced their fingers and tugged her into leaning against his side.

He called his father's name and the rest of the meeting's participants shuffled back in. Fitz and Olivia presented themselves as a united front with their posturing.

"We've talked things over and Liv will be taking the job and I will do whatever her team thinks I should do as spokesperson for the company-"

"And it's going to be great," Liv interjected.

"And it's going to be great," Fitz finished.

Thanks for reading! The follows, favorites and reviews are appreciated! If you have a request you can PM me. I will be posting a new AU Olitz story this week. OX