Olivia's breathing settled into a comfortable rhythm and he was sure she'd fallen asleep. He didn't blame her. This day had been long, emotional, and it had gotten very late.
He pressed his lips onto her hair, savoring the scent of her. He still couldn't believe this was happening. His hand drifted up her spine. Olivia was sleeping on his chest.
Truth be told, he was just as exhausted. The non-stop adrenaline that fueled the majority of his day had ebbed and he felt the crash coming on hard. He should get Liv to bed. He should get to bed. Maybe Liv would let him crash on her couch because there was no way he was driving home while he was this exhausted.
He hesitated to wake her, she looked perfect and peaceful, but they weren't as young as they once were and they both would be incredibly sore if he let them both crash here. He savored one more moment before placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Liv," he breathed. She didn't even stir. He smiled and said her name a little louder and rubbed her back a little, "Hey Liv, let's get you to bed."
Her brow knit and her face turned into an adorable scowl as she fought to stay asleep. He brushed his fingers through her hair, feeling his resolve to move beginning to weaken. Maybe one more try. He adjusted his position so her face was higher up his chest, shifted towards his shoulder. He leaned up a little and dropped a kiss to her neck, close to her ear, "Olivia," his voice stayed low, but he felt her squirm and her eyes slowly opened.
"Hey," she smiled.
He brushed his hand across her cheek, "Hey." His lips ghosted her forehead, "Let's get you to bed."
She made a little sleep filled groan before stretching and sitting up. She shifted off of him as he swung his legs off the couch, and rolled the kinks out of his neck.
His eyes met hers and he wasn't sure how to ask to stay without it feeling too suggestive. He would be perfectly fine sleeping on the couch. Before he had the chance to say anything her hand was on his cheek. "Stay tonight?"
He leaned in, kissing her softly. "Are you okay with that?"
She nodded, her face still close to his, "We've both had a hellish day. We're exhausted." She gave him another soft smile. "I don't want you to drive home."
Her tender concern warmed him, and he was eternally grateful that he risked it and came over tonight.
She stood and took a couple steps away from the couch. He watched her, assuming he would just kick back and crash there on the couch, but she surprised him when she turned and reached her hand out for him. If the invitation wasn't clear enough she tilted her head towards her room.
He tried not to eagerly jump up, but his heart was pounding. Olivia was inviting him into her bed. And even if that's all that happened tonight he would die happy.
She threaded her fingers into his and silently led him back to her room. Once there, she dropped his hand and turned towards him. "There are probably some old sweats in my bottom drawer." She gave him a tongue in cheek smile. "Honestly though, I don't care what you sleep in because I'm going to be asleep in seconds." She stood on her tip toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before making her way to her bed.
Elliot felt a little stupid just standing there, but he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to do. Olivia had already flipped the comforter over her. With her eyes closed she said, "I'm serious El. I don't care. Sleep in your underwear if you want." She opened her eyes a peek, "not anything I haven't seen before," she teased.
"Ha ha." He said sarcastically and she closed her eyes, holding back a smile. It wasn't like he was shy and if she was comfortable it would be fine. She was right, they spent years sleeping in bunks and he had no problem sleeping in his underwear then. And there was that whole undercover incident where she posed as a prostitute. He shook the thoughts away because he didn't need his brain to go there right now.
He was overthinking this. He shed his shirt and pants and climbed under the comforter on the other side of the bed. Olivia reached over her nightstand to turn off the lamp. He thought it might be hard to sleep knowing Olivia slept only an arms length away, but his exhaustion took over and he was asleep in seconds.
-000-
Olivia stretched her arm above her head and startled when she felt something warm against her bicep. She opened her eyes and found herself nose to nose with Elliot. Her breath quickened and she tried to remember exactly how she got tangled up in Elliot's arms.
She thought about everything they discussed the previous night. All the truth and admissions. She acknowledged that the hurt might never go completely away, but the validation, the understanding she gained softened its intensity.
Inevitably her thoughts wandered to the feeling of his lips on hers, his hands on her skin. The thoughts alone made her heart race, and she wondered if she was ready. He told her he was all in, and that he wanted forever. She believed him, but that ever present twinge of doubt made her hesitant.
She knew he placed the ball firmly in her court and he'd given her all the control in the pacing of this. She appreciated the gesture, but she was well aware of her ability to overthink everything . Sometimes she needed his impulsive, impassioned push.
Sometimes she wished she could be like that. So sure of herself in every emotional decision. It caused a lot of havoc sometimes, but with Elliot you usually knew exactly where you stood.
Her thoughts must have been loud enough to hear because Elliot began to stir. His eyes opened and his eyes crinkled with a smile. "Good morning," he said sweetly. Damn him and his ability to make her heart pound uncontrollably.
"'Morning." She scooted down a little so she could snuggle under his chin and into his neck. His warm hands slid up her back as he pulled her impossibly closer.
"How you feeling this morning?" He whispered into her hair.
Oof. Good question. "Okay. Still tired."
"Well yesterday was… a lot." He admitted.
"Yeah," she agreed.
She felt his lips in her hair and she closed her eyes to savor the sensation. She pressed a lingering kiss to his throat and noted his breath catch at the contact.
"What time is it?" He murmured.
"No idea." She whispered. She couldn't help kissing his throat again and watching the same reaction.
"Work?" He asked, his eyes closed as he nuzzled her hair.
She closed her eyes and leaned further into his chest. "Weekend remember? Fin's on call." She brushed her lips against the base of his throat. "You?"
He sighed. "I'm sure there is a pile of paperwork waiting for me at the office," he kissed her forehead, "but I don't think I'll need to be in the office unless Ayanna calls."
"Well then," she breathed.
"How about that," he returned, and she turned her body into his.
She felt her stomach fill with anticipatory butterflies just before his lips fell over hers.
He kissed her slowly, deliberately lengthening out every motion. She hummed softly against his lips, unable to contain her delight at this good morning kiss. He pulled back suddenly, jarring her out of the peaceful reverie, "Where's Noah?"
She laughed out loud, "Are you seriously just now realizing he isn't here?" She slid her arms around his bare torso and placed her cheek against his warm chest.
He ran his fingers through her hair, and chuckled at himself, "Well yeah," he said sheepishly. He changed his defense, "Hey, I was almost blown up yesterday, and I got here late." He paused before adding, "I was also pretty distracted by your enthusiastic greeting." He smirked.
She felt the blush and tried to ignore it. "He's at Amanda's. He does pizza night with the girls every now and again." She would eventually need to pick him up, but knowing Amanda, she'd offer to watch him all day if she knew Olivia was in bed with Elliot.
"That's really nice." He nuzzled her hair. His voice was low and gravelly and she knew he wasn't talking about Noah anymore.
"Mmhmm." She murmured, pressing her lips to his.
He responded immediately, kissing her back with passion. He caught her bottom lip, her heart began the thunderous pounding typical of the novel feeling of his lips on hers. Her tongue wandered into his mouth and his did the same. He groaned into the kiss and another flurry of chills flooded her body.
She felt his hands run down the length of her spine before gripping her ass and rolling her on top of him. Her hands pushed into the warm skin of his shoulders while his mouth explored the base of her neck. God this is perfect. She tilted her head back to better accommodate his mouth and tongue, and she shuddered as his hands dipped beneath her leggings, fingering the lace edge of her panty line.
Her response to his hands beneath her clothes was borderline embarrassing, as an inadvertent gasp escaped her lungs. Her hands mapped the muscles of his chest while his hands pushed under her shirt. Between his lips on her collarbone and his hands moving beneath her shirt her breathing had become ragged. She fell into him, enveloping his lips again with hers, this time with a near frantic desperation. This was happening .
His fingers started to tug at the hem of her shirt and she knew where this was going and she finally felt ready. That is, until her shirt exposed about two inches of her skin and the cold room air distracted her from the level of heat they were producing. And suddenly she remembered the scars. Just as he began to push her shirt up further her anxiety heightened, and she couldn't breathe, and not in the good way.
She hated that she had to do this, but she gripped his hands before breathing out a clear, "Wait."
For a moment all she could hear was the sound of their labored breathing. Her anxiety response felt amplified because of the already aroused sensations in her body. She couldn't f-ing breathe. She rolled her body off of his, and dropped one of her hands squarely on her abdomen, allowing the weight of her hand cue her into the rise and fall of her chest.
Once she felt her spiral was better contained, she was terrified to look over at him. Having a near panic attack during potential sex was not exactly ideal, and far from sexy. She hesitated, anticipating the inevitable confusion she'd likely find written all over his face.
She hated this. She hated how anytime she wanted to be cross this bridge with anyone, ever , she had to toss out this warning. It killed her that she had to mentally prepare any would be partner of the gruesome scars that decorated some of the most delicate parts of her body. She hated it. And even worse, she needed to tell Elliot , and she knew this conversation would hurt more than last night's conversation. In fact, It would be excruciating.
