Disclaimer: As you all know, these characters aren't mine. They belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.

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Day 8: Providence26: After winning a really tough case or something equally worthy, Alex tries to be cool and holds her fist up to Liv and says "fist me" instead of "bump me" and is absolutely mortified and hurries away.

Universe: Season 3

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As soon as court is dismissed and Alex's latest victory is hauled off to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, Olivia is out of her seat and rushing forward to meet Alex at the gate.

Alex finishes up with conversation she is currently engaged in, then turns to Olivia, holds her fist up, and says, "Fist me."

There is a long, quiet moment and then Olivia begins to laugh. It starts out quietly, with her shoulders shaking and a shit-eating grin spreading across her face, then gets a bit louder as tears begin to form in her eyes.

Alex groans, covering her face with her hands. "That wasn't right, was it?"

Olivia stops laughing long enough to shake her head and say, "No, Alex, that wasn't right."

Alex groans and grabs her bag off the table, hurrying out of the courtroom.

Olivia turns around, confusion written all over her face. She pushes her hand through her hair, sighing.

"Damn, Benson," Elliot says, watching the doors shut, "what'd you say to scare her away like that?"

"Fuck you," Olivia says, though there is no malice in her tone. "Why do you always assume I did something wrong? For all you know, she could've just remembered that she left the stove one."

Elliot rolls his eyes. "You and I both know Cabot doesn't cook."

"Whatever."

"And you and I both know you have a tendency to be an idiot around her."

Olivia sighs, rubbing her hands over her face. "I should go talk to her."

Elliot nods, clapping Olivia's shoulder. "Let me know if you need backup."

Olivia rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "Screw you."

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She finds Alex in her office fifteen minutes later. Leaning against the doorframe, she says, "So you ran outta there pretty quickly."

Alex looks up from the notepad she is writing on. "I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on."

Olivia nods. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to dinner tonight. To celebrate your big win today."

"I'd love to, but I'm really swamped, Liv."

"Okay," Olivia says, "I'll just pick up dinner and bring it back here; that's cool too."

Just as Olivia is about to leave, Alex grabs her bag and rushes out of her office, shutting and locking the door behind her. "What I said in the courtroom," she says, "that's not what I meant. I only left because I was too mortified to look you in the eyes."

Olivia nods, bumping her shoulder into Alex's. "Elliot was convinced I said something ridiculous and scared you away."

Alex reaches out, tangling her fingers with Olivia's. "Never."

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