Once again, thanks for all the positive feedback regarding this story :) I hope you like the update! And I hope you had a happy holidays and have a good new year.

"Okay, Liv, you're definitely sick." Her coworker, Quinn, said after Olivia sneezed for the fifth time in two minutes.

"I am not." She replied stubbornly, sniffling as she placed some pastries in the display. Quinn rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You are. And since this is a food service job, you need to go home." Olivia sighed, heavily annoyed, as she put the food down to face Quinn.

"My shift ends in an hour. I'm fine. I will stay until it is finished." When Olivia had a violent coughing fit immediately following her statement, the look Quinn shot her way gave her no choice but to leave. "Fine, I'll leave, but only because-" Quinn held up her hand, stopping Olivia's rant before it could start.

"Just go home and sleep, don't do homework, don't drink three bottles of wine. Take some NyQuil and knock yourself out." Olivia mumbled in agreement as she gathered her stuff and headed home.

The house was empty, which she expected. Cyrus was probably at James', she threw her coat onto the couch and went to the study with the intention of doing at least a little work before she succumbed to sleep. She knew Quinn was right and she was sick, she felt like crap, but she was also Olivia Pope. And Olivia Pope was never sick for long, she was confident that she would wake up tomorrow feeling good as new.

She was wrong. She did not feel any better than the day before, honestly she almost felt worse. She woke up the next morning, her head resting on top of her desk and a crick in her neck so painful, she could barely turn it. On top of that, her cold seemed to magnify over night. Her nose was stuffed up, her throat was scratchy, and she felt like it was one hundred degrees in the room. She glanced at the clock, realizing it was way later than she expected it to be. She had to meet Fitz in less than two hours…

Fitz. They had grown closer in the past few weeks and decided they could handle office meetings, instead of being forced to meet in public. She still was a little hesitant, but they always left the door open to his office just in case they were tempted.

She realized they were way more alike than she originally thought. They both had similar upbringings and were stuck under the pressure of their fathers' dreams for them. They had both sought support from Cyrus, who had managed to help them from having complete mental breakdowns. And they both wanted to go into the field of politics. It unnerved how often they could finish each others' thoughts and phrases. Despite how much they had in common, they had managed to keep it professional so far, minus their initial interactions.

The flirty air between them, while still existing, had chilled slightly. Olivia guessed that was an effort on both their parts, because unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get over her attraction to Fitz. Even knowing she was meeting with him in a few hours was enough to make her feel hot and not from her crazy cold fever.

She sighed and closed the laptop that she had fallen asleep in front of, and headed upstairs to get ready for her day, because she did not allow sickness to stop her. She told Professor Grant that she would meet him, so she would.

She got dressed in a nice gray pantsuit, hoping it would put off anyone who dared question her health.

Hours later when it finally was time to meet Fitz, she felt slightly better. Or she at least no longer thought she was going to pass out from how feverish she was. But her nose was still stuffy and no amount of make up could hide the lackluster tone her normally glowing brown skin had taken on.

She let herself into Fitz's office and greeted him warmly, settling into her usual seat across the desk from him. She opened up her notes ready to get straight down to business, but she glanced up at Fitz when she realized he had never responded.

"Liv, you look pretty sick." Fitz said, his eyebrows creased in concern, which she would've found cute if she didn't feel so terrible.

"Is that your way of telling me I look awful?" She questioned, leaning against the back of the seat, barely able to hold herself up. Fitz bit his lip and shook his head,

"You could never look terrible. This is my way of telling you that you look sick." He clarified.

"I am not sick!" She replied in a nasally voice and Fitz laughed.

"You are," he stood up and walked towards her, placing a hand on her forehead. "And you have a fever." He informed her and grabbed his jacket, pulling it on.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking you home."

"We haven't even talked about the readings!" She protested as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the seat. She stumbled, dizzy, and Fitz wrapped an arm around her waist to support her. Olivia couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to have Fitz's arm around her on a daily basis.

"You're going to pass out before we even get into a conversation about the readings." He smirked down at her as he led her out his office door. Olivia sighed, realizing there was no way Fitz was going to let this go and honestly she did feel pretty sick.

"Well you don't have to take me home." She finally said. Yes she was sick, but she still didn't think it was a great idea to be alone in a house with Fitz. They had gotten better at ignoring the attraction, but it didn't go away. She could still feel the surge of electricity course through her body every time he touched her.

"How'd you get to campus today?" He asked, continuing to lead her to the parking lot.

"…the bus."

"Exactly, I'll drive you home, give you some medicine, and make sure you actually rest." Fitz shot her a knowing look and she hated how well he could already read her. They just saw each other and knew each other without either one of them having to say anything. It was that connection that scared her and made her think they would not be able to stay away from each other forever, no matter how inappropriate a romantic relationship between them would be.

Fitz tucked Olivia in, resisting the urge to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, I'm going to grab you some medicine and make you soup." Her nose wrinkled adorably at the mention of soup.

"I don't want soup."

"Well, you have to eat something." He insisted.

"Popcorn." He raised an eyebrow at her, but she didn't even look his way. He should've known she would want popcorn. "That's the only thing I'll eat." She said sparing him a brief glance.

He chuckled to himself and turned around, going downstairs to make Olivia her requested popcorn.

He was proud of the place he and Olivia had come to in their…friendship? There had been no more almost kisses and although things got a bit flirty at times, they managed to keep it all fairly professional. He credited it to having Cyrus as a buffer most of the time they spent together, since he had regular dinners at the Beene household.

Since he was there often, Fitz easily made his way around the kitchen to make Olivia's popcorn, grabbing her favorite popcorn bowl from its place in one of the cabinets. While the popcorn was popping, Fitz went into the bathroom and poured a dose of cold medicine for Liv that he knew would be a chore and a half trying to get her to take, but she genuinely needed it and he wanted her to feel better.

He put the popcorn into the bowl, grabbed the medicine, and headed upstairs. He entered Olivia's room where she was curled up under the covers watching what he thought was Waiting to Exhale. She smiled up at him when he placed the popcorn down on her night stand, but it soon turned to a grimace when she noticed the medicine in his hand.

"I don't want to," she whined and he stifled his laughter at how adorably grumpy she looked.

"C'mon Liv, you'll feel better." She continued to pout, but took the medicine out of his hand. She quickly tossed it back, her face wrinkled in disgust.

"I can't believe you made me do that."

"Well, if you would slow down a little you wouldn't have to resort to gross cold medicine." He smirked and she rolled her eyes, shushing him.

"I'm trying to watch the movie."

"I've never seen this movie." He admitted, focusing his attention on the screen. Olivia gasped as if she was actually offended.

"Sit down, right now!" She demanded and patted the other side of her queen-sized bed. Fitz hesitated only for a second before he made himself comfortable next to her. "My mom would watch this with me every time I was sick when I was a kid." She told him and Fitz's heart warmed at the admission. Olivia didn't share personal things often and she talked very little about her family, so Fitz noted every little comment she made and took pride in the fact that she felt comfortable opening up to him.

"Okay, so what have I-" He started to ask, but Olivia put her hand over his mouth.

"It's easy to figure out, just be quiet." He obediently shut his mouth and turned his attention back to the movie.

He must've fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes again the room, which had been lit by natural sunlight, was considerably darker and Olivia's body was curled into his. She was snoring lightly because of her stuffy nose and he stifled his laugh so he wouldn't wake her up. He carefully shifted her so that she was lying down and pulled the covers up to her chest. This time, he did press a light kiss to her forehead before exiting the room.

Olivia woke up to a pitch black room, her TV was turned off, and Fitz was gone. She tried to ignore the prick of disappointment she felt at that. She wasn't supposed to care. She did not care.

She glanced over and noticed Fitz had left another dose of cold medicine for her on the nightstand. She smiled to herself as she quickly took the medicine. It had been a very long time since Olivia allowed herself to be taken care of in any way and it endeared her to Fitz even more that he didn't take no for an answer; he had brought her home, he made her food, he got her medicine. She pushed the thoughts away from her mind because she didn't want to think about how great it would be to have Fitz around on a regular basis. The reality was it couldn't happen. So, Olivia resolved not to think about it and instead went back to sleep, knowing that unless she rested she would never be better and if she stayed awake her mind would just keep circling around a man she couldn't have.

It took two full days before she felt recovered, but that morning she stopped by the coffee shop and grabbed two muffins: a lemon poppyseed for her (Fitz had made fun of her endlessly when he found out that was her muffin of choice) and a chocolate chip one for him (which she had made sure to point out the unhealthiness of). Then, she set out for his office.

She knocked lightly on the door, before letting herself in. She stopped for a second to admire Fitz in his environment. He was leaning back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk and a pair of reading glasses on his face.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hi."

"I brought you something." She announced, plopping the bag down on his desk and sitting down on his couch. He raised an eyebrow and took his glasses off, straightening himself. He pulled her muffin out first.

"I believe this is for you." He grinned and pushed it toward her. She grabbed it from him, but gestured to the bag.

"Yours is in there too."

"Thanks," he said as he dug into his muffin. They quickly fell into their familiar banter as they ate their muffins and barely discussed class. Olivia didn't even realize how comfortable they had become with each other until someone entered Fitz's office, ruining their rapport.

It was Professor Cecilia Moss. Liv had had a class with her last semester and while she respected her intellect, she didn't particularly care for the woman's teaching style. And based on the way Cecilia was looking at Fitz, Olivia guessed she wouldn't like the woman personally either. She was beautiful though, and she would look great with Fitz. Both tall, brunettes with blue eyes. She grumbled at her thoughts.

She glanced at Fitz who looked slightly annoyed by the intrusion, she grinned internally at that. Cecilia gave Olivia a small smile, and then focused her gaze on Fitz.

"Hi, sorry, I didn't realize you were with a student I just-" Olivia wanted to jump up and point out that Fitz saw her as more than just a student and she tried to tamp down her possessive thoughts. She had no claim over Fitz and she never would, so she kept her mouth shut.

"What can I help you with?" Fitz asked, encouraging the woman with a small smile.

"I was wondering if you were going to the faculty dinner tonight?"

"Uh, Cyrus has been busting my chops about it all week but I haven't actually decided yet."

"Well, if you do decide to go…." The woman blushed and Olivia knew what was coming. "Maybe you would want to go together? Just let me know, you have my number!" Cecilia fled the office before Fitz could actually respond. And Olivia thought it was strange the woman had chosen to ask Fitz out in front of her instead of waiting for another time, but she shrugged it off.

Fitz and Olivia looked at each other for a second, then Olivia made a split second decision.

"You should go," she said. "With her."

"What?" Fitz asked in disbelief.

"You should go tonight." Olivia gathered up her things, including her half-eaten muffin. "I'll see you later." Olivia said over her shoulder as she left, not sparing Fitz another glance. She rationalized that she had done the right thing. She needed to put distance between them and pushing him to go out on a date with someone else was definitely a way to do it.

But less than ten minutes later Olivia realized she had made a huge mistake by telling Fitz to go out with someone else. She knew she would spend the rest of the night obsessing over whether Fitz did actually go out with Cecilia and if he was enjoying himself and if he was thinking of her at all. It was selfish, but even though she knew she couldn't be with Fitz, she didn't want anyone else to be with him either.

She had already dug her own grave though. She couldn't go back to Fitz's office and tell him not to take Professor Moss out. Although if she really wanted to she could tell him that, but it would lead to a conversation about feelings that Olivia wasn't ready to discuss yet.

For a brief second she almost did turn around, but, in the end, she decided they were both better off if Olivia kept her mouth shut. Instead she showed up to her next class forty-five minutes early and reviewed her notes, rather than obsessing over whether Fitz had agreed to go on a date.

Fitz leaned against the bar and took another sip of his champagne as his colleagues milled around. Following Olivia's suggestion, he had agreed to go out with Cecilia, he put on a nice suit, and picked her up from her house. They made polite conversation throughout dinner and while she was beautiful and smart, she wasn't Olivia. Olivia, like always, was dominating his thoughts and despite all of his attempts to show Cecilia a good time, it was clearly affecting his mood.

She returned to the bar area where he was standing after she had excused herself to use the bathroom. He mustered up a smile as she approached him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, gently rubbing his arm. And he hated that he noticed there was no shock of electricity like he experienced every single time Olivia's fingers brushed against his.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat. "I'm fine."

"Really? Because you seem like you're somewhere else."

Fitz weighed his options for a moment. He could either continue to pretend or he could make up an excuse and get the hell out of there. He decided on the second option. He placed his empty glass on a passing tray and grabbed Cecilia's hand, leading her to a secluded corner.

"I'm going to be completely honest, I was in a very long-term relationship back in California." Cecilia's face dropped like she knew exactly what was coming; he couldn't even bring himself to feel bad. "I thought I was over it, but it's still too soon for me to move on. I'm so sorry."

She gave him a half-smile and nodded knowingly.

"It's okay, I should've expected that after you were so hesitant to agree to this. Thanks for being honest, Fitz." He did feel a twinge of guilt at that because he wasn't being honest, but he nodded his head in agreement with her.

"I think I'm going to head out," he said, forcing a tone of regret into his voice. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Nah, I can hitch a ride with someone." She squeezed his hand again and prepared to turn away. "If you ever are ready, I'll be here."

Fitz exhaled a sigh of relief when she left and he immediately made a beeline toward the exit. He hopped in his car, throwing his jacket off and loosening his tie slightly. As he started driving, he debated a moment where his destination was, but deep down he knew where he was going. As he reached Cyrus's house he noticed most of the lights were still on and he cheered on the inside. Cyrus and James had seemed pretty cozy at dinner, and also very drunk, so he figured he had at least a little time alone with Olivia.

He walked with purpose toward the front door and knocked loudly. Olivia opened it, dressed in gray leggings and a long white sweater. He loved her in white.

"Fitz," she murmured, surprised. Whenever he would catch her off guard, she would call him 'Fitz' instead of 'Professor Grant'. He tried to make it happen as often as possible. He stepped inside, not waiting for her to invite him in. He crowded her, standing only about a foot from her. Her chest heaved as her breaths came quicker in anticipation of whatever he was going to do next.

"Why did you want me to go out with someone tonight?"

"I thought you would have a good time," she defended, crossing her arms as he inched closer to her.

"Olivia," he licked his lips and he looked into her eyes for any sign of what she was really thinking.

"I- I- I- don't know!" She stuttered out, going on the defensive. "Why are you here right now?" She threw back at him and he laughed, although it came out humorless.

"Because I had a date with a beautiful woman tonight, and I couldn't enjoy it. All I could think about was you!" He said frustrated and Olivia's eyes widened in surprise at his honesty.

"What?"

"You're in my head all the time! And I didn't think I was alone in that, but then you told me to go on a date with someone else." He threw his arms up in defeat.

"I don't know what to do!" She yelled back. "You're my professor and I can't have feelings for you." She admitted, not making eye contact and he felt a weight settle on his chest at her confession. She had feelings for him too. That was all he heard and all he needed to know.

He stepped forward again, their bodies almost pressed together. He caressed her cheek and titled her head upwards, forcing her to look at him.

"I don't know what to do either," he disclosed. "But trying to stay away from you is exhausting." Olivia sighed and she was so close he could feel the exhale of her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she looked resolute. Her next movements caught him off guard as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers.

It took him only a second to respond. His hands spanned her waist as he slotted his mouth over hers, sucking her tongue into his mouth. Her hands tugged on his hair and he lowered his hands to her butt as they continued to kiss.

Olivia moaned when he backed her into the wall, pressing the full length of his body against hers, and the sound shot straight to his groin. He hoisted her up, his hands still on her ass, and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He pulled his lips away from hers, breathing heavily, and started placing light kisses down her neck while her hips rocked up into his. Her head dropped back, knocking against the wall, but neither of them stopped what they were doing.

Fitz was about to turn around and take Olivia up the stairs, consequences be damned, when a car pulled into the driveway. The headlights shone brightly through the front window. They broke apart quickly and stood on opposite sides of the room, staring wide-eyed at each other as they tried to catch their breath. When they head Cyrus outside talking to James, Olivia's eyes bulged in panic.

"You can't be here in the middle of the night for no reason! Hide!"

"My car is outside." He said regretfully, trying to wipe any evidence off his face of what just happened. Olivia rolled her eyes and stepped up to him, gently using her thumb to wipe away the lipstick on his bottom lip.

"You came over because you forgot something here the other day."

"What'd I forget?" He asked knowing there was no way Cyrus would believe a lie so flimsy. Olivia's eyes darted around the room wildly and finally landed on a notebook that was setting on an end table. Fitz watched as she grabbed it and pushed it into his chest.

"Here, you forgot this." He took it from her, but looked at her questioningly.

"Aren't you going to need this?"

"I'll be by to pick it up tomorrow." She told him and his heart soared that she wasn't planning to ignore him for an indefinite period of time.

"And we'll talk about this?" Olivia nodded.

"We'll talk about this." Cyrus's key turned in the door as Cyrus and James stumbled in, a bit tipsy. Cyrus grinned at them.

"Fitz!"

"Hey Cy," he smirked at the intoxicated couple. "Just came over because I left something here the other day. Enjoy the rest of your night."

He made quick leave, knowing that after a kiss that amazing he could not be trusted to be in the same room with Olivia, especially with other people there. Hell, he had half a mind to return after he was sure Cyrus was in bed to finish what they started. To him, it didn't matter anymore that they were supposed to stay away from each other. Now that he had had a taste of Olivia Pope, nothing was going to stop him.