Disclaimer: Things I Own - Grease 2 on DVD, a Dodgers jersey, and a crayon sharpener. Things I Don't Own - Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, and Law and Order: SVU.

A/N: I'm on a writing streak - three chapters in three days. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep that up, so enjoy it while you can! The song is "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks. (Yes, I'm aware there's another SVU fic on this site using that song. I didn't steal it. Promise.)

Chapter 3 – Out Of My League

"Elliot," Olivia called from the other room of the apartment currently being searched. Elliot's head snapped up and followed her voice, still holding the stack of mail he had been going through. He was smiling slightly. He didn't know why. Actually, that's a lie – he knew exactly why. Olivia had called his name with that beautiful voice of hers. It sounded like singing. He hated to admit it, but Elliot was totally crushing on his new partner.

"Whatcha got?" he asked nonchalantly.

"A disk marked 'Carolyn'," Olivia answered, holding up the aforementioned computer disk with a gloved hand. "That's gotta be our Carolyn."

"Atta girl, Benson," Elliot praised. "Just put it-"

"In an evidence bag and label it," Olivia droned. "It's my first search, Elliot, but I know how to do my job, okay?"

Elliot smiled again. "Okay," he said before walking back to the main living space of the apartment. He discovered something new about Olivia to admire everyday. It was her hair and her eyes today. Brown was not usually a very expressive eye color, but Olivia's eyes gave depth a whole new meaning. And the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was working was so cute. He'd given up trying to stop thinking about her. It was useless. And just because he was married didn't mean he couldn't look, right? He just had to remember not to touch – for so many reasons.

Elliot pulled his tie off and sat on the edge of his bed, thinking. All through dinner, his mind drifted from his children's conversation to thoughts of Olivia – how she rolled her eyes when he offered advice on a case, how she was determined to make a name for herself without Elliot's help, and how endearing that all was. The feeling made him shiver...in a good way.

He felt the bed shift behind him and then Kathy was behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "You've been distracted all night," she complained.

"I know," he said, trying to shake the image of Olivia rubbing his shoulders out of his head. "I'm sorry. It's...a work thing."

"You promised you'd start leaving work problems at work," Kathy whined. Olivia wouldn't mind my thinking for five seconds, Elliot thought. Then he felt bad about it – Kathy was just trying to keep the marriage going. He understood, and he wanted to be enthusiastic. But the image of Olivia was taking over his entire brain.

"I'm sorry, Kath," he reiterated. "Really. I'll...try harder."

Kathy dropped her hands. "I don't want you to try, Elliot. I'm tired of you trying," she says, frustrated. "I just want to be alone with my husband. Not with my husband and his job."

"What do you want from me, Kathy?"

"I want you," she said softly. "What's the problem? Is it one of the cases? Is it that new partner you told me about?" Elliot flinched at the word 'partner'. He didn't want his wife to know what was really on his mind. But Kathy noticed. "What, do you not like her?"

"No, she's great," Elliot said, not able to contain the small upward quirk of his lips. "She's the best partner I've ever had."

Kathy walked around the bed so she could face Elliot. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I think it's the beginning of something great."

Kathy face hardened. "How great?"

"Kathy, come on, that's not what I..."

"Do you like her?"

"Of course I like her, she's a great cop."

"You know that's not what I meant, Elliot."

There was a long pause, and Kathy and Elliot just stared into each other's eyes. Kathy was the one to break the silence when she stood and walked to her side of the bed. "Walk it off, soldier. Go clear your head or something, and come talk to me when you're done with whatever you're thinking about now."

Elliot stood and twisted his torso to look at his wife. She was laying on her side, facing away from him, with her eyes closed. He could tell the gears in her head were churning fast. He sighed and grabbed his jacket off the coat rack next to their bedroom door. He knew the right thing to do – climb into bed with her, reassure her that there was nothing between him and Olivia. But he couldn't.

It was frightening to be swimming in this strange sea of marriage trouble. His marriage to Kathy had been a stressful one, sure, but he always considered it a happy one. In the last week or so, though, the tension had increased. Not fighting, necessarily, but there was a new atmosphere between Kathy and him. For some reason, though, he didn't care as much as he should. And that's what led him to make the wrong decision.

He walked out of his bedroom, out of his house, and climbed into his car to head up to 89th Street.

He knocked on the door of 4D before he could lose his nerve. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? Oh, right, because it's a Friday night and he didn't call before driving all the way uptown to visit his very hot, very feisty, very datable partner. She probably isn't even home, Elliot thought. Maybe I should just-

His thoughts were interrupted when Olivia swung the door open. "Elliot?"

"You're home," he said, happily surprised.

"Uh...yeah," Olivia answered, confused. She was wearing baggy, dingy black sweats and a maroon racerback tank, but her makeup was done up slightly more than usual. Her right hand was in her pocket while her left supported her weight on the door frame.

She'd never looked hotter.

Elliot cleared his throat. "Uh, your makeup," he said less-than-smoothly. "Did you have plans?"

She chuckled as she let Elliot into the apartment and closed the door behind them. "I did. The guy was a creep, though. I never left. Just slammed the door in his face and ordered Chinese food."

Elliot couldn't help but wonder what she was dressed in for the date. Dude, you are not fifteen years old. Control your thoughts. "Nice," he said.

"Sit down," Olivia offered, pointing to the couch. He did. "No loss. It was a blind date. I never should have agreed to it." She sat down next to him, picking up a takeout container and chopsticks from the coffee table. "So why are you here?"

"Oh," Elliot started, realizing he never explained himself. "Kathy and I kind of got into a disagreement."

"Kathy's your wife?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know you guys had problems." Olivia licked a stubborn piece of rice from the chopsticks.

"We don't. I mean, not really. Lately she's been on my case about work."

"Haven't you been in Special Victims for a few years now?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. Usually, it's not a big deal. At least I didn't think it was. She's just getting frustrated with the late nights and...well, she's not too happy that you're my partner," Elliot admitted.

"Do I know her?" Olivia questioned, confused.

"No, no," Elliot clarified. "You don't. You're just female, and I said I liked having you as a partner. Kathy's known for her jealous streak."

"So let me get this straight," Olivia said, setting her takeout container down again. "You had a disagreement with your wife. About me. And instead of smoothing it over, you walked out. No, you drove out. To Manhattan. To my apartment."

Elliot sucked air through his teeth. "It wasn't the smartest idea, was it?"

"No. It was very stupid."

Elliot looked at Olivia. Her eyes were shining with concern. The way she cared for him after such a short time made Elliot even more enamored by her. He was way out of his league with this one. They were friends. Very compatible friends, sure, but she didn't have romantic feelings for him. And he shouldn't have any for her, he reminded himself – he loved Kathy.

"I should go. Thanks, Olivia," Elliot said, standing up.

"I'm here," Olivia reassured him while walking him to the door, "anytime you need me. You know where to find me."

"I'll hold you to that," Elliot said with a smile.

"I'm counting on it," Olivia shot back.

A/N: PLEASE review! Honestly, it boosts my spirits when I get a review alert. It makes me want to keep writing, and fast!