"Where are we going?" The words stumbled out of his mouth before fully processing what Olivia had said.
"I just want to get away. The beach is nice but I think I'd like if we had some privacy if that's alright with you."
"Privacy? Right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Give me a minute to get my head together and then we can go, okay, Liv?"
She smiled at his wrinkled, slightly raised eyebrows indicating a confused expression on his face. "One minute, it is."
Olivia took the time and listened to her heart slow to match the rhythm of his heartbeat as she pressed herself closer into his chest. Days like these were becoming a rarity now that her career seemed to be hitting a sweet spot; she did not know what to make of whatever this was but she knew that it made her feel good. It was a feeling that she had not allowed herself to feel in some time but thinking back on her past romantic experiences she could not recall anything this intense and certainly nothing that moved at the pace they were moving on.
There did not seem to be an off option readily available to slow the progress of this whirlwind she found herself caught in. Olivia sensed that she was not alone in this regard but Fitz did not seem bothered by the speed or how easily they connected. Upon meeting him she felt a proverbial click like that of a seat-belt being fastened. They fit somehow, on levels she wasn't aware to fully acknowledge.
She was only certain of one thing-she was strapped in for this ride with Fitz as long as he was willing to meet her halfway. She did not want to think of the headache that was their schedules, the potential annoyance Mellie could become or the press and how they would navigate it all. Shared peace and time was what she wanted for them to have right now, this day and night because she did not know how soon or how far off into the future their next shared time would take place. She released a deep sigh at the thought of sharing borrowed time no matter how temporary the circumstances.
Fitz heard Olivia's deep sigh and knew her thoughts probably mirrored his own. He knew that this retreat-the gelato and ice cream and wherever they went after leaving-was only temporary. Real life would intrude once more and in ways they could not fight at this stage.
He rubbed his hands on her arms and nuzzled her neck. Borrowed time was what they had at the moment and he understood why she wanted to leave. They both knew that if this continued-and if he had his way it most certainly would-privacy would be in short supply after one or maybe a few outings if they were lucky. He had no plans to keep what they had hidden but he was not ready to share every experience with the general public either.
Would they be relegated to meeting at each other's homes and getting take out? Maybe they would get groceries and cook together luxuriating in each other's company. He could picture her in his kitchen, sitting on the counter. He could see her body pressed against the wall of his shower and her body in his bed with her hair spread across his pillows while she was sprawled over him.
The soft sound of her breathing matched his and he smiled into her neck at the action. Their bodies seemed to know just how well matched they were while their thoughts and emotions played catch up. Had it ever been like this with another woman?
Even when he was a teenager and felt the sting of his first crush and the sad loss that accompanied the fallout, Fitz could not drudge up the memory of anything like this. Whatever they called this-fate, kismet, serendipity-it was magical.
The feelings inside wrestled for control with his logic but Fitz felt his logic being washed under the strong waves of emotion churning inside of him. Nothing else mattered at this moment. Nothing else mattered outside of them when they were together.
There was no field calling for FTG, there were no teammates looking to him for guidance. There was no Mellie trying to maneuver her way back into his personal life.
All that existed was them and the moment they shared. Olivia and Fitz inextricably tied from the moment their hands touched and their gazes took each other in.
Fitz closed his eyes, capturing this moment in time, how she felt in his arms, how he felt holding her, the warmth of the retreating sun and the breeze that came from beaching this close to the ocean. Simple and understated but it was everything to him.
The quiet broke when Olivia wiggled out of his embrace and he heard a small bark. Wait...a bark?
"Fitz! Look! This puppy was just running around on the beach and jumped into my lap!" Olivia said, excitedly, holding said puppy in her arms.
"Let's check for the owner, it might belong to a kid who is missing his pup."
The puppy was tiny with black and tan fur and a little white on the chest and looked like a small cross breed of some sort. Olivia turned back towards him so that he could get a good look at the happy puppy in her arms.
Looking underneath its stomach, he smiled. "It's a boy!"
"Really? Oh my gosh! How cute! Who would leave this little guy all by himself? Look at him, Fitz, he's adorable!"
Fitz chuckled at the noises she was making at the pup. "Yeah, he's cute for a little fur ball."
"Furball? No, he's not a fur ball, Fitz!" She exclaimed and the dog gave a small yip as if to agree with her, earning him more caresses from Olivia.
Sitting back on his haunches momentarily, Fitz pushed himself off the blanket and held out a hand to help Liv up so they could look for the owner. After she was standing he grabbed the blanket, shaking off the sand before folding it and placing it over his shoulder.
Olivia stepped towards him and held out the puppy. Fitz ruffled his soft head and let the puppy sniff his hand. He was accepted by the pup and got a healthy licking for his friendliness.
"I don't see a collar on him, Liv, come on, let's look around. There aren't many people around and he's tiny so if he has owners they're probably close by."
He offered to hold the puppy but Liv insisted on holding on to him but dropped one of her hands into his and interlaced their fingers as they walked along the beach asking if anyone had lost a puppy.
After combing the beach and the nearby sidewalk for almost an hour they decided to call their search to an end.
"We haven't found this little guy's owners but we can't leave him alone, Fitz. He chose us-that means we have to take care of him," Olivia stated.
"Hey, I like dogs just fine but what if we take him in and then find out he has a family? We have to be prepared for that, Liv," Fitz reasoned.
"I know, I know, but we've already searched and he seems tired. We should pick up some pet supplies then we can get him to a vet. Maybe he was microchipped and then we can find the owners. We can also put some flyers or something and we'll just keep him until someone claims him."
Bringing his gaze from the sleepy puppy in her arms, up to Liv's face Fitz felt himself caving. Any arguments he had against taking in the lost stray puppy were fading as he began to lose himself in her tilted warm brown eyes.
What harm could it really do? They could get pet supplies for both of their places in case they needed to switch sleeping arrangements or if they spent the night together. The puppy was one more thing with the potential to tie them together and suddenly Fitz was on board. He could make excuses about wanting to see the dog if he wanted to spend time with Liv or he could take him occasionally depending on who was busiest at the time.
"That's a great idea, Livvie. What should we name the little guy?" Fitz asked.
"How about Chance?"
"Let's ask the little guy." Fitz leaned toward the puppy and said,"Hey there, Chance." The puppy opened his eyes and began wagging his tail in excitement.
"Looks like we have a winner. Chance, you're one lucky pup. Between the two of us, you'll be one spoiled little guy," Fitz promised.
"Did you want to ride with me to the pet store so that we can shop together, Liv?"
Olivia nodded happily, cuddling Chance as she stood on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to Fitz's lips.
Thanks for the follows, faves, and reviews!OX Next up, shopping for Chance!