Disclaimer: As you all know, these characters aren't mine. They belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.
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Day 20: One Direction – "Moments"
Universe: High School AU
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"Just stay with me tonight," Olivia says, attempting to blink back tears. "Please."
Alex swallows hard. "Okay," she whispers.
Shut the door, turn the light off
I wanna be with you
I wanna feel your love
I wanna lay beside you
I cannot hide this even though I try
There's nothing but them – that's the way it's always been; just Alex and Olivia against the world, the way it was meant to be. And now everything is changing and catching her off-guard, and—It was easier when it was just the two of them.
Olivia's room is dark, silent save for the beating of her heart and Alex's gentle breaths. It's easier here, hidden away from prying eyes and packed boxes. They can breathe here, take a minute to be themselves.
Heart beats harder
Time escapes me
Trembling hands touch skin
It makes this harder
And the tears stream down my face
Curled up in her twin bed, Olivia traces patterns with shaking hands on the bare skin of Alex's back. Her heart hammers hard against her ribs as she feels the night slipping away.
If we could only have this life for one more day
If we could only turn back time
You know I'll be
Your life, your voice, your reason to be
My love, my heart
Is breathing for this
Moment in time
I'll find the words to say
Before you leave me today
Daylight breaks earlier than either of them expect. Alex wakes slowly at first, then as the crushing weight of reality hits her she bolts upright and Olivia feels the lump in her throat double in size.
And even though Alex takes her time in the shower, they still arrive at the airport almost two hours before her scheduled departure time. They find a spot in the airport café to sit and wait for Alex's flight to be called.
The air around them is tense, fraught with anger and love and betrayal, and it's like they're suddenly strangers sharing a table.
Olivia sighs, shaking her head. This was supposed to be her moment of truth, her final opportunity to confess everything, but instead it's turned into a silent war, a battle to see who can remain angry the longest, and she can't take it anymore. Standing, she says, "I'm sorry" and then she leaves, unable to look back.
Flashes lights in my mind
Going back to the time
Playing games in the street
Kicking balls with my feet
There's a numb in my toes
Standing close to the edge
There's a pile of my clothes
At the end of your bed
As I feel myself fall
Make a joke of it all
She jumps into the first cab she finds and gives the driver her address. Leaning back against the seat, she closes her eyes.
There's a lot she doesn't remember from when she was a kid, but she does remember the day she met Alex. It was a sunny day and she was about five. She was playing soccer in the street with the rest of the kids from the neighborhood when a little blonde girl showed up. They clicked instantly, becoming virtually inseparable from that day on.
Alex kissed her for the first time on her sixteenth birthday. "For good luck," she had said, but Olivia didn't buy it; she had known there was something different about their relationship that let it run deeper than friendship.
It didn't take long for that kiss to become stolen kisses under the cover of darkness which became make-out sessions in one of their rooms which then became piles of clothing at the foot of the bed.
Olivia opens her eyes, shaking her head. It's better, she think, to stop remembering there than it is to keep going.
(Olivia fell hard and Alex decided to go to college 3,000 miles away, and that's how things fell apart.)
Close the door
Throw the key
Don't wanna be reminded
Don't wanna be seen
Don't wanna be without you
My judgment is clouded
Like tonight's sky
When she gets to her apartment, she slams the door shut and tosses the key onto the table by the door, narrowly avoiding knocking over the picture of her and Alex. Bitter, stinging tears form in her eyes and she's so damn in love that it physically hurts.
With a shake of her head and the acknowledgement that what she is about to do is a terrible idea, she grabs her key off the table and takes off.
Hands are silent
Voice is numb
Try to scream out my lungs
It makes this harder
And the tears stream down my face
Alex is still sitting in the café when Olivia gets back to the airport. She fights her way through the crowd, stopping in front of Alex, and it feels like the entire world is standing still.
My love, my heart
Is breathing for this
Moment in time
I'll find the words to say
Before you leave me today
"I haven't thought a lot about this," she says, trying to spit the words past her lips. "I didn't plan for a big, romantic speech – that's the kind of thing you're good at, not me. I didn't even know if I was going to see you again. And now that I'm here, I don't really know what to say. But, Alex, what I do know is that I love you. I'm in love with you. And I don't want to stay here without you. So I'm asking you right now: Do you think we can make it? If you say yes, I'm not letting you get on that plane alone."
Alex stares at her, silent for a long moment. "Why now, Olivia? Why are you doing this now?"
Olivia shrugs. "I'm out of time, Alex. This is literally the last moment."
"And you're sure this is what you want?"
"I just want you."
"Okay," Alex says. "Come with me."
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