When she woke up, Olivia found herself still snuggled against Alex. She smiled to herself and pulled away a little to get a look at the blonde. The woman was passed out, sleeping just as soundly as earlier. She kissed her temple and began running her fingers through her hair, reaching for the remote and turning on The Simpsons. She watched contently in silence, until the show caused her to laugh.

Alex gave a slight gasp and pulled away slightly, looking around in confusion until she saw Olivia. When she saw the brunette, she calmed significantly, suddenly remembering where she was. Olivia, for her part, smiled through the butterflies flapping wildly in her stomach at the loving look Alex gave her when their eyes locked. God, she's beautiful.

Olivia resisted the urge to reach out and cup Alex's cheek, instead choosing to clear her throat and apologise for scaring the blonde. She did feel bad about that.

"Sorry," Olivia said softly, a small twinge of guilt eating away at her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Alex responded, resettling back against her. "I just forgot where I was for a minute."

Olivia nodded in understanding.

"I can't believe we fell asleep," the blonde said, glancing at the time. It was nearly five. "We slept a while."

"Yeah. Did you sleep well?" Olivia asked.

"I did. That's the first time in a long time that I've slept that hard. It feels good."

Olivia down smiled at her, stroking her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to move from this position. She had missed this, simply sitting with Alex.

"You must be hungry."

Olivia chuckled.

"A little. I haven't lost my appetite in the year you've been gone."

"Good. I would like some things to remain the same."

"I haven't changed much."

"Yes, you have. You're thinner. You look older. Your hair, your clothing…it's different too."

"Bad different?"

"No," she said carefully. "Just different."

"Do you miss my old style?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe."

"Did you like it better?"

"I did. You looked good in your old stuff."

"You're just saying that because you picked it all out," Olivia teased, eliciting a smile from the blonde.

Her style had changed slightly since Alex left. She had stopped caring what she was wearing because there was no one to look nice for. She had taken to just slapping on whatever was comfortable. Alex had picked out a good portion of her new wardrobe and it hurt to look at those things, let alone wear them, because they reminded her so much of the blonde, so she had started wearing her old clothing, things that had remained buried in her closet for a reason.

"Okay well, when we go shopping, I'll make sure to pick up a few things that resemble the stuff you picked. Do you have any requests?"

Alex nodded eagerly.

"Muscle shirts. And a leather jacket. Sunglasses. Open collared shirts that button down so you can see your muscle shirt underneath. Open blouses with a shirt underneath. Black slacks. You need a belt too."

Olivia was grinning by the time Alex finished talking.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"I've had a long time to think about the things I missed you wearing. I'm glad you're still wearing your earrings and that necklace though. I liked those."

Olivia touched the golden necklace around her throat.

"I never take it off."

It had been a present from Alex when they had first started seeing each other. When they met again in Casey's office, Alex had noticed immediately that Olivia was still wearing it. It was nice to see something familiar on the detective, given that she looked so vastly different from when Alex had last seen her. Someone else might not have thought Olivia looked so different, but to Alex, who knew her so intimately, she looked remarkably different.

"Good. Do you have any special requests?"

Olivia smiled at her.

"Lots of blouses. Skirts. I really liked your red dress. Your summer dresses too. Those tight jeans, remember those? And those black boots," Olivia said, wiggling her eyebrows. "I miss your leggings, paired with those baggy dress sweater things that you used to wear when we were off duty. They were really nice on you." She refrained from telling her she looked "fucking hot" in them.

"My sweater dresses. I'll try to remember all of that."

"Good," Olivia said, suddenly growing quiet. Alex looked up at her when she stopped speaking, a questioning look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. I'm just… It's nice to be talking like this again with you, teasing and just… having a nice conversation. I've missed this."

Alex nodded against her.

"I've missed it too. I never realised how lonely my life was until you weren't in it."

Olivia squeezed her around the waist, holding her tight. She kissed her temple and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Alex. She felt her body warm when Alex buried her cheek deeper against her chest, stroking her fingertips against Olivia's lower back. Alex never felt safer than when she was being held by the detective. It was a welcome feeling, one she hadn't felt in so long that she had nearly forgotten what it was like.

Olivia held her close, unmoving, for a long time. She held her because she wanted the blonde to know, to remember that she was no longer alone. She held her until she was sure that Alex could feel that her protective instincts were once again around to keep Alex safe. She knew the blonde had been alone and scared for the past year, but that was over now. Olivia would kill any son of a bitch who got close enough to threaten her. It wouldn't be like last time. This time, she would protect her.

"Are you getting hungry?" Alex whispered.

Olivia glanced at the clock. It was approaching six, and she had to admit, she was starting to get hungry. However, she really didn't want to let go of Alex.

"Hmm?" Alex prodded.

Olivia sighed and nodded reluctantly. "I am, but I don't want to move from here. I like holding you."

Alex gave a soft smile.

"I like being held, but we should go eat. We can come back and do this some more after."

"Or we can just order pizza."

"We could, but…"

"But you feel like going out?" Olivia guessed. She was okay with that. If Alex wanted to get out of the house, she would go out.

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not. Let's go out to eat."

"Okay," Alex agreed.

The women got up and stretched, Olivia making her way to the kitchen to grab the keys from the kitchen table. She locked the back door and made her way to the entrance, where Alex was waiting for her.

"We probably don't even need to lock our doors but…"

Alex chuckled.

"Probably not."

Olivia walked over to the front door, but paused before opening it. Alex stopped behind her, a questioning look on her face. She watched as Olivia turned, and gave her this look…it took her breath away.

Olivia reached out and pulled Alex into her arms, wrapping her tight in her embrace. She buried her nose in her hair, bringing her face down into the crook of the woman's neck. Alex returned the hug, wrapping her arms tight around her back and holding her equally close.

"I missed you so much, Alex," Olivia whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you, you know that? Fuck, I love you so much."

Tears sprang to Alex's eyes, a lump forming in her throat at Olivia's confession. It had been so long since she had heard those words. Too long.

"I love you too," she answered, her voice cracking under the strain of keeping the tears at bay.

She could hear the emotion in Olivia's voice, the sincerity, and it consumed her. She could feel the love in her voice, and it was such a welcoming feeling.

"I just look at you and I want to crush you to me. I never want to let you go," Olivia confessed. "I need to feel you here to know you're real, that you're safe," she whispered, her voice raw with emotion.

"I'm okay, baby. I'm safe."

Alex couldn't imagine what Olivia had lived through. Alex had gone a year with no news from the other woman, but she had at least known Olivia was safe in New York, with her friends. She knew she was okay, she was safe, and that there were people there to take care of her if something happened. But for Olivia, she had known nothing about Alex. The blonde couldn't imagine the emotional turmoil the woman had gone through because of that.

A wave of heat washed over when she felt Olivia's lips against her throat. She laid several gentle kisses against her skin, causing Alex's stomach to tighten. Olivia was always so gentle with her. She had missed this, missed the caring, affectionate person who offered her the kind of love she had only read about in fairy tales.

Olivia laid one final kiss at her throat before Alex gently pulled away enough to look into the woman's eyes. She saw tears pooled there, and it made Alex's heart break.

"Don't cry, baby," she whispered, resting her hand against her cheek.

Olivia closed her eyes and leaned against her hand, a tear slipping down her face. Alex wiped it away with her thumb, then gently guided the woman's head down until their lips met. Olivia let out a whimper at the contact, her whole body melting against Alex as she pressed their lips together. It had been sixteen unimaginably long months since she had felt Alex's velvety soft lips against her own, and they felt even better than she remembered.

The kiss was gentle, caressing, each woman pouring out all the emotions they had been unable to express for so long. Alex held Olivia's cheek with her hand, gently brushing her lips against Olivia's before pressing them forward. She reached her free hand out and placed it on Olivia's hip, drawing the woman closer. She moved her right hand up from Olivia's cheek into her hair, tangling her fingers in the woman's dark brown locks.

The brunette moaned when Alex pressed their hips together and began kissing her more insistently, pressing harder against her mouth and running her fingers along the blonde's lower back. Alex's stomach dropped when Olivia shifted their positions, turning her around so that she was pinned against the door. She moaned when Olivia's tongue swiped at her lips and the brunette took advantage of her open mouth, sliding her tongue inside.

She explored every inch of Alex's mouth, taking care to avoid Alex's tongue while she took her time remapping the familiar territory. Alex grunted and tugged on her hair in protest, wanting to feel Olivia's soft tongue against her own. It had been way too long, and she was tired of waiting. Olivia gave in and tilted her head, slowly stroking her tongue against the blonde's, loving the way Alex's knees buckled as she did. She moved her hips forward, pinning her to the door as she continued her slow torture.

Alex's head was spinning. Her mind was blank, void of anything but the woman against her and the arousal now overtaking her body. Olivia always kissed her this way, kissed her with such intensity that it left her unable to see, unable to think. The brunette consumed her, filled her every sense, until all she knew was this primal feeling.

Alex groaned loudly against her lips when she felt Olivia's hands make their way down to her hips, gripping them and pulling them against her own. She moaned her approval into the kiss, causing Olivia to respond eagerly, kissing her more deeply, hungrily. Alex buried her fingers deeper in her hair, scratching her scalp and gently tugging at Olivia's hair. She knew that got the brunette going, and when the woman gyrated her hips into her, Alex thought she would come on the spot.

Olivia continued to press her lips against the blonde's, her tongue stroking Alex's in a frenzy. She had missed the blonde so much, but she had needed her for longer. When the woman started tugging at her hair, she lost all control. Alex turned her on like no one else and she was determined to remind her of that fact. She yanked her impossibly closer, massaging her hips, her thighs, her ass. Her hands were roaming everywhere and from the sounds Alex was making, the blonde was just as turned on as she was.

Olivia brought her hands back to Alex's ass, gripping it firmly and yanking her up. The blonde immediately wrapped her legs around her waist, and when she looked down at Olivia, the brunette felt her stomach drop. Alex's hair fell down into her face, but it seemed to only intensify the arousal in her half-lidded eyes. God, she wanted her so bad.

Olivia pressed her against the door, the blonde leaning back down to crush their lips together. She gasped and moaned against Olivia's mouth when she felt the woman press her hip between her thighs. She rocked herself against the woman's body, groaning when Olivia used her hands to aid the motion. She had waited so long, fantasized for so many nights. She wanted this so bad, needed it even worse, but there was still a small part of her brain cautioning her. If they didn't stop soon though, the voice would disappear entirely. So, reluctantly, Alex slowly pulled away.

The brunette let out a small moan of disapproval when she felt Alex break the kiss and drop her head onto her shoulder. The brunette buried her head in her neck, breathing heavily against her skin. Alex was panting just as loudly, her eyes shut tight.

After a few seconds, the blonde groaned out: "Fuck."

Olivia let out a deep chuckled, sending a shiver down Alex's back. She could hear the arousal in the other woman's voice. Olivia slowly let Alex drop, purposefully moving her thigh so that as she let Alex down, she slid down against her thigh. The blonde closed her eyes and groaned, panting as she felt herself rub against Olivia's muscle. The brunette held her in place, making her feel every inch until she was in a standing position. Olivia kept her thigh in place, grinning to herself as she felt Alex pant against her. When the blonde was finally able to stand on her own, she opened her eyes and glared at the woman before her.

"That was a cruel trick."

Olivia grinned wickedly at her.

"Stop smiling like that, detective," she said.

The brunette wiggled her eyebrows.

Alex chuckled and looked away, now standing confidently. No one had ever made her lose feeling in her legs like that before.

"You look so damn proud of yourself."

Olivia gave her a soft kiss in response.

"I'm very proud," she whispered huskily in her ear.

The brunette took a step back, smiling. Alex refused to admit exactly what the sound of Olivia's voice did to her, but she didn't need to. The brunette saw it cleared when she looked down at her nipples straining against her shirt. Alex was beyond turned on and when the blonde shifted and took a step forward, she was acutely aware of how soaked her underwear was. At least the firestorm in her belly was starting to calm down now that the brunette wasn't pressing her body between her legs.

Olivia reached for Alex's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Still hungry?" the brunette asked happily, opening the door. She held out her hand, indicating that the blonde should pass first. Alex mumbled, doing her best to glare at her as she walked out the door.

Did this chapter make you happy? :) Please let me know what you think.

This goes to you, lovingfanfic2death. Because you begged so much for some action ;)