Quiet Time

"Come on, Allie, please?" Olivia asked with puppy dog eyes. She had been begging for what seemed like forever. Alex stared at her with disbelief in her eyes, like she had asked for a strip tease in her hospital bed. All Olivia was asking was for her to cuddle up next to her, only for a moment. Olivia missed the feeling of Alex's softness rested against her.

"Olivia, I'll kill you." Alex said, appraising the size of the bed, the size of the space, and the fragile nature of her girlfriend's body. She was determined not to get on the bed. More than anything, she was afraid of hurting Olivia. She spent all her time around Olivia being as gentle and careful as she possibly could. She stayed away from Olivia's whole right side, her damaged ribs, the ugly incision on her stomach, and her shattered leg. The pain that Olivia suffered was always present in her mind, and she was determined not to be the cause of it. She couldn't stand it if Olivia sent her away because of something she had done.

"No, you won't, come on." Olivia asked, as she closed her eyes and moved her body another quarter of an inch to the right. "See?" Olivia said, pointing to the six inches of bed on her left.

Alex laughed. "Right."

"Please." Olivia whined at her.

"You know I'm not supposed to be on your bed." Alex said, with a frown.

"It'll make me feel better," Olivia said with a smile. And those god damn sad eyes, Alex thought to herself. She knew that Olivia could get away with anything with those eyes.

Alex sighed. She knew that Olivia had her. She slipped off her shoes and leaned gingerly onto the edge of the bed. "Okay, I'm on the bed." Alex said, her feet still firmly on the ground.

"Come here," Olivia said, opening her arm, coaxing Alex to pull herself all the way onto the bed.

"Liv," Alex warned her, shaking her head.

"Please?" Olivia asked again, cocking her head just a tiny bit to the right making her eyes even bigger.

Alex pulled herself onto the side of the bed so her feet were hanging off the edge of the bed and stared directly into the floor. "Happy?" She asked.

"Come on, Alex." Olivia cooed. Alex looked at her and then the space at the bed. She sighed, and pulled herself onto the bed. "See? I told you you'd fit," Olivia smiled. "You're little."

Alex couldn't help but be happy that Olivia was smiling. "I'm not little." Alex said. Even though she was afraid to hurt Olivia, she couldn't deny it felt good to be by her side. Alex nervously pushed her hair behind her ears, carefully putting her head on the pillow and letting Olivia put her head on her shoulder.

"I like feeling you next to me." Olivia said quietly.

"Me too." Alex whispered.

"Alex?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah?"

"Talk to me."

"About what?"

"Anything."

"I don't know what to say."

"Then read to me, I just want to hear your voice." Olivia said, closing her eyes.

"Read to you?"

"Yeah."

Alex looked over at the small table next to Olivia's bed, one that she had covered with books. She knew better than to think that Olivia had opened one of them, but she thought she should provide an option other than the blaring TV that was her twenty four hour companion. She picked one of them up and pretended to blow the dust off.

"I'm not that bad," Olivia said laughing.

Alex smiled and opened the book to the first page. "Are you sure you really want me to do this?"

"Yeah," Olivia said with a smile, putting her head on Alex's shoulder. Alex turned her head and placed a kiss on Olivia's forehead.

"Okay then." Alex said, as she folded the cover back and started to read. Alex smiled as Olivia's head leaned onto her shoulder.

"Alex?" Olivia asked, quietly, interrupting Alex's quiet pace.

"Hmm…" She asked.

"Do you love me?"

"That's a silly question." Alex said.

"No it's not. Do you love me?" Olivia asked again.

Alex turned so she could see into Olivia's eyes. "I love you more than anything." Alex said, leaning over and putting a kiss on her cheek. Olivia smiled and nodded. "Do you want me to?" Alex said picking up the book. Olivia nodded and put her head back on Alex's shoulder.

"Alex?"

"Hmmm…" Alex asked, putting the book down again, looking into Olivia's eyes.

"You know I love you too, right?"

"Of course." Alex said.

"Okay," Olivia said, putting her head back on Alex's shoulder.

"Anything else?" Alex asked.

"No." Olivia said, quietly.

Alex picked up the book and started to read. She smiled to herself. She loved the way Olivia's mind worked sometimes. The way that Olivia could make her feel with just three magic words was unparalleled. She couldn't imagine…

"Alex?" She heard Olivia's voice whisper again.

"Yeah babe?" Alex said, putting the book down. "Do you want me to stop?" She asked.

"No," Olivia said, "But I wanted to know something."

"What?" Alex asked.

Olivia snuggled her head onto Alex's shoulder. "Can you help me get up?"

"For what?" Alex asked.

"I want to ask you something."

"Ask from there." Alex said, rolling her eyes.

"It's not the same." Olivia warned.

"Olivia." Alex warned.

"Fine. I wanted to know if you'd marry me."

"You wanted to know what?" Alex said, quietly.

Olivia took out the small black box that Elliot had given her. She smiled and turned her head to look at Alex. "I wanted to know if you'd marry me? See, it would have been better if I had been on my knees…of course, I don't know if I could have ever gotten up again." She said, again, swallowing hard, her mouth suddenly very dry. She could hear herself rambling but she couldn't stop.

Alex looked at the ring, and into Olivia's eyes, and back to the ring. "Shhh…" Alex said, quieting Olivia with a gentle kiss. "Yes," she whispered.

Olivia smiled, pulling the ring out of the box and carefully slipping it onto Alex's finger. They kissed each other lightly—a promise of a future that had only slightly been delayed.

To Be Continued…