The eighth consecutive week that Johanna and Elliot met up to play pool marked two months since they had met.

The night began with a drink at the bar, making conversation with each other and with Tommy, the bartender they had gotten to know well over their weekly visits. The bar was especially crowded that night due to an out-of-town college lacrosse team and their fans celebrating a win against a local college team. Since college sports were not especially competitive in the area, the local college team and all of their fans invaded the bar as well, drinking with the out-of-town team.

"Everything okay?" Elliot questioned when he noticed Johanna drinking more rapidly than usual.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous," she admitted as they stood facing each other near the end of the bar since all the barstools were preoccupied.

"What's wrong?" Elliot wondered.

Johanna shook her head as she took another large sip of her drink then replied, "I'm taking that test on Wednesday to become a certified ABA therapist."

"Why are you nervous?" he asked. "You're going to do fine."

She shook her head again; "I bombed the practice test this afternoon!"

"Don't stress," Elliot put his hand on her arm and gave her a gentle comforting squeeze, which sent flutters through both of their stomachs. "The more relaxed you are, the better you'll do."

"You're right," she agreed as Elliot dropped his hand from her arm. "I just want to do well on it. Plus, if I don't pass it this time, I can't take it again for another six months."

"Then you'll have six more months to prepare for it," Elliot encouraged. "It won't be the end of the world."

She nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"I know you're good at your job," Elliot reassured her. He knew she wasn't worried about working on her own or making more money. She viewed the test as an evaluation of how well she does her job. "You know you're good at your job too."

She looked up at him and into his sympathetic grey/green eyes. He stared back into her dark green ones.

The connection they were making was abruptly interrupted when a rowdy lacrosse player bumped into Johanna, sending her into Elliot's rigid body. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and used his other hand to shove the lacrosse player away from her.

"Watch it!" Elliot yelled sternly.

Oblivious as to what just happened, the lacrosse player simply muttered, "Oh, sorry," over his shoulder.

"You okay?" Elliot asked Johanna with his arm still around her.

"Yeah," she laughed a little – the lacrosse player hadn't hurt her in the slightest, but she appreciated his concern and was simply flattered at Elliot's protective reaction. She reminded herself that he is a cop and probably has that reaction for everyone.

Elliot's phone buzzed in his pocket, causing him to remove his arm from her waist and retrieve it. He looked at the name that flashed on his screen. It was Olivia.

"I have to take this, sorry," he apologized as he walked to the hallway at the back of the bar where it was quieter.

Johanna understood and turned back to the bar to order another round of drinks.

"Can I, uh, buy you a drink?" Another one of the lacrosse players questioned as he walked up to the redhead.

Her ego pulsated a little at the advance from the college kid, who was probably at least five years younger than she was.

"I'm okay, thank you," she politely declined.

"Just one?" He pushed. "I can tell you're not with that guy, so don't give me that excuse."

From the hallway, Elliot could see the exchange at the bar between Johanna and the lacrosse player. Olivia was going on and on about a case they were working on, but he drifted his attention from his partner on the phone to the scene at the bar. Though it didn't seem like the college kid was getting anywhere with her, Elliot felt a pang of jealousy and protectiveness. He wanted the kid to stop talking to her. Being the hotheaded cop that he is, his reactions are often extreme, so he tried to talk himself down – Johanna could talk to anyone she wanted to, and he certainly had no right to get in the way.

He grimaced at the realization that he had a crush on her.

"El? Are you listening?" Olivia questioned through the phone.

"Yeah, sorry, Liv. It's loud in here, I'll call you back later if you're gonna be awake." Elliot couldn't take his eyes off Johanna and the lacrosse player, who were still talking.

"Yeah, I'll be up, call me back."

Without saying goodbye, Elliot hung up the phone and bee-lined back to the bar.

"The pool table's open," he said interrupted whatever the college kid was saying. "Wanna play?"

She smiled and nodded. Elliot placed his hand on her back to guide her around the bar, dominantly staring down the lacrosse player.

They were eight drinks and four pool games in when the bartender announced, "Last call!"

"It's 2 already?" Elliot questioned.

"Wow," Johanna giggled, feeling drunker than she had been in a while. "We never shut the place down."

"We've been here a while," he admitted as he put on his jacket. "I'm gonna go close my tab."

"I'll meet you outside," she responded as she put on her coat. "I need some fresh air."

After Elliot paid for their drinks, he walked outside and found Johanna leaning against the side of the building, her breath visible in the cold air. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked as her head rested against the brick wall. She was a gorgeous girl, no doubt about that, but there was a certain innocence he saw as she rested sleepily against the building. He thought it was cute. She smiled gently at him when she noticed he was looking at her. He couldn't help but smile back, remembering the schoolboy crush he had on her.

Johanna lifted her head and stood up straight as Elliot walked over to her. He thought about what Olivia had said to him a few weeks prior: "You're allowed to do things that make you happy."

With those words of reassurance and the inebriation that gave him courage, he pressed his lips against Johanna's firmly, bringing his hand up to rest on the side of her face. He kissed her deeply as she rested her own hand on his waist. Both of their minds were elated, not filled with worrisome qualms about the sudden kiss.

When they parted, Elliot opened his eyes to evaluate the look on Johanna's face, but her eyes were still closed as she continued to revel in the kiss. Without making a conscious decision to do so, Elliot leaned in and kissed her again, still holding her face. He felt reassured of his impulsiveness when her hand on his waist pulled him closer, closing the gap between their bodies. He placed his free hand on her back, holding her close to him.

Who knows how long they would've stayed like that if Elliot's cell phone hadn't begun to furiously ring. He wanted to ignore it so desperately, but any phone call he received at 2AM was important and needed to be answered.

Their lips parted again, but her hands stayed put on his waist and their bodies remained close as he brought his phone to his ear. "Hello?" He answered with a heavy sigh, looking down at Johanna's tired eyes.

"Elliot, it's Cragen," Elliot's boss and captain replied. "We need you to come in, it's important."

Elliot was protesting on the inside, but said, "I'll be right there." He hung up and sighed. "It's work. I'm sorry. I have to go."

She smiled at him, not wanting to say too much and ruin the moment any more. She backed away from his grip and nodded then replied, "See you next week."

He watched as she turned around and walked away from him. He could still feel her warm lips against his, which caused a smile to tug at his lips. He was almost a little thankful that he was called into work so suddenly, because he really wasn't sure what was going to happen from there.

But the night ended perfectly, so he wasn't going to think another thought about it.