A/N: After watching the SVU premiere three times, I have decided that I liked it. But, there were obviously a few Rolivia scenes missing. So here they are. I hope you approve! Four tiny chapters in one. (Reminder that this collection of one shots doesn't follow a specific timeline, so obviously with this being based on an actual episode, Liv doesn't know about Amanda and Carisi.)
Scene 1: That was crunchy.
It's not lost on her how his hand tightens around hers as they walk down the corridor, like his body is trying to prepare him for whatever he'll see once they walk through that door. She eyes him for a second before nudging his hand a little, making him look at her. When she sees that hint of worry in his big eyes, she stops briefly, kneeling in front of him so they're face to face. "Hey, Noah, remember what we talked about in the car?"
Noah nods. "That she might be a little sleepy." He actually sounds a little proud. Like he had memorized Amanda's speech word by word and finally got to prove that he was actually paying attention.
"Exactly." Amanda smiles softly. "And?"
"And, that she's going to be fine but that it's ok to be scared."
"Good." She gently ruffles his curls before lifting herself up. "Let's go see her."
He lets go off her hand as soon as the door opens and he sees his mother in the hospital bed. "Mom!" Noah exclaims while running across the floor, stopping only when he's close to crashing into the bed.
"Hi, sweet boy." Her voice is groggy and her eyes look tired, but her face still lights up at the sight of her son. "I'm so happy you're here."
When Noah tries but fails to climb up and into the bed, Amanda walks over and lifts him up. "Careful." She mumbles, making sure that he won't accidentally bump into the leg that's resting on top of a blanket.
"Does it hurt?" Noah asks while glancing down on his mother's leg.
"A little." Olivia admits. "But it's fine."
Hadn't it been for the eight-year old sitting there, Amanda would've berated her boss for downplaying this. Not just because it's obvious how much discomfort she's in right now, but also because someone clearly wanted this to end with something a lot worse than this. She bites down on the inside of her chin instead, returning Olivia's smile when she notices that the brunette is looking at her.
"Thank you so much for bringing him."
"Of course." Amanda says, stepping a little closer to the bed and her captain's side. "Anything else you need?"
That's when Olivia reaches out her hand and grabbing Amanda's, just as Noah carefully rests his head against his mother's shoulder. She gives the hand a gentle squeeze and smiles tiredly. "No, just this."
Scene 2: I have a secret, and I think you know.
She wants to ask how bad the pain is when she looks at the limping woman next to her. She's been wanting to ask for days now, but because she knows how much her boss hates being coddled, she's been keeping her worry to herself.
However, the woman next to her does look pretty miserable right now, and she's just about to say something when Olivia grabs her elbow and stops halfway down the hall. "What was that?"
Amanda looks around the bustling hallway, confused. "What was what?"
"That weird energy between you and Carisi?"
Immediately, her heart starts racing.
How? We barely looked at each other.
The detective mentally cringes at the nervous laugh that spills out of her. Because the laugh is just a bit too sudden and a bit too loud. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You have another fight or something?"
"Nothing happened." She clears her throat when she hears how high-pitched her voice is, but the ramble that comes next doesn't exactly make things any better. "Same old, same old. No fights. We're friends."
"Amanda."
"What?" She wraps her arms around herself, like she's physically trying to protect her little secret.
As much as she's determined to wait a while before disclosing anything to anyone, she hadn't taken into account how hard it would be to lie about this to one of her best friends. But she also knows that telling Olivia would mean telling everyone, and she's just not ready. Not yet.
After what feels like an actual eternity of silence, the captain's lips eventually form a smirk. "Nothing." She says, before she starts limping down the hall again. "Good to know, that you're… friends."
Scene 3: I'll be the one who never leaves.
"Liv? You in here?" After looking everywhere for the captain to give her an update on the case, she finally opted for the restrooms. And truth be told, she wants a moment alone with Olivia, so she finds herself a little relieved when one of the stalls open.
"You found me." The brunette gives her a crooked and tired smile before moving towards the sink.
"How you holding up?" Amanda asks while leaning against the counter.
Olivia lets out a sigh while reaching for the paper towels, and that's when Amanda notices that it looks like the captain has been crying. "You ok?"
"I know she's out of surgery, but…"
"You're thinking about Dodds, aren't you?"
Her chin is quivering just a little when she turns to face the blonde. "We thought he would make it."
"I know."
"And suddenly… He was just gone."
"I know."
"I'm just… I'm so tired of losing people, Amanda. I feel like I just… keep saying goodbye. And I don't know how much more I can take."
Amanda takes a few steps between them and uses her thumb to wipe away a fallen tear on Olivia's cheek. "It's a lot to deal with. And it's ok for you not to be ok."
The brunette eyes her for a second before something that sounds like a mix between a laugh and a cry tumbles out of her. "That sounds like a song."
Amanda returns the laugh as her hands land on Olivia's shoulders. "Well, it might sound cheesy as hell, but it's still true."
Suddenly the captain's expression changes and she gets this warm look in her eyes that is usually reserved for her son. "You never left." She whispers, and it sounds like she's saying it more to herself than the woman in front of her.
Amanda smiles softly then before pulling her in, hugging her tight. "And I never will."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Scene 4: Ibuprofen and insistent company.
"Amanda?" Olivia says when she opens the door. "What are you doing here? Where are the girls?"
"With Carisi." The detective responds quickly before she enters the apartment without Olivia actually inviting her in. "So here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna park your ass on the-"
"Aunt Amanda! You just said ass!"
Her eyes widen when she hears Noah's voice from the kitchen, where he's sitting by the counter.
"Shit."
This time it's Olivia's turn to widen her eyes, before she gives Amanda's shoulder a small shove.
"And now you said shit!"
"Thanks for that." The captain says dryly.
"You're welcome?" The blonde smiles innocently, place her bag on the floor and starts guiding the other woman towards her couch. "You're gonna sit here, get comfortable, find something to watch, or scroll your phone." Before she continues, she holds up a hand. "Just, whatever you do, don't go on Twitter, it's a mess."
"You know, I would've done this without you coming here, bossing me around."
"Yeah, but-" Amanda moves the footstool over to where Olivia is now seated and helps her lift the injured leg up. "This has been the week from hell and me and Noah are gonna clean and make you dinner."
"You are?" "We are?" She looks from her boss to the eight-year old, from Olivia's surprised eyes to Noah's slightly annoyed.
"Mhm."
"But… You can't cook."
The detective laughs while picking up the bag and moving towards the kitchen. "I can. I just prefer others doing it for me."
She's not quite sure, but she thinks she can hear a mumbled "yeah, I've heard you like Italian" from the couch, quickly deciding to ignore it, mostly for her own sake.
Two hours later, she slumps down on the couch next to the brunette, holding a beer in one hand and a box of ibuprofen in the other. She shakes her head when she sees how Olivia eyes the bottle.
"That is for me." She says, holding out the box for Olivia to take it. "Enjoy your pills."
"Not fair." The captain responds with a scoff, but smiling nonetheless before she reaches for her water.
Amanda checks her phone then, for the first time that night and as hard as she tries, she can't stop the grin that spreads across her face when she reads the text.
Speaking of Italian.
"What's going on?" Olivia asks suspiciously between two gulps of water.
"Hm?" Amanda asks, still staring at the screen, a little distracted by Carisi's not so subtle words.
"It looks good on you, you know."
She finally puts the phone down and meets the other woman's eyes. "What does?"
"That smile." Olivia reaches over and gives Amanda's bent knee a gentle pat. "Whatever's got you smiling like that? I approve."
A/N: Manifesting at least one scene like this in the coming episodes.