Fifteen minutes later Olivia slipped between the sheets on the opposite side of the bed from Elliot. He snored softly so she knew he was already sound asleep. She knew she could go sleep on the couch if she was really opposed to this arrangement, but if she was honest, she wanted this.

She rolled over to face Elliot. He slept on his back, any other position was painful for him. She found herself resisting the urge to snuggle up beside him. For a few minutes she battled with herself. She kept asking herself why. Why does she instinctively resist, withdraw, or run? Why won't she let herself have this? She told herself she wanted to be careful with Noah, but she was protecting herself, not Noah. What would happen if she let herself have what she wanted?

What if she tried? She quietly resolved to move forward, even if the steps were small, she would let herself try to be happy. Maybe happiness was in the cards for her, and maybe it was laying a few feet away from her.

She took a breath of courage, and quietly snuggled up to Elliot on the other side of the bed. Her heart pounded. She laid next to him, draping her arm across his warm chest, and resting her head against his shoulder. She snuck her face close to his neck, impulsively kissing his neck before saying, "Elliot?"

"Hmm?" His eyes stayed glued shut, but if she was doing this, he needed to be fully awake. She wanted him to know. She wanted him to remember.

"El?" She placed a kiss behind ear. That seemed to get his attention, and his eyes popped open in surprise. He rolled slightly so he could see her face better, and his blue eyes met hers.

With his hopeful gaze on her, she almost lost her nerve, but she persevered. Her hand came up to his cheek, and she pushed the tears away. She held his gaze. "I love you."

His eyes widened in surprise, but instantaneously crinkled with a smile. His arms came around her, she knew she was pressing against his wound too hard, but he continued pulling her tighter against him. His lips were on hers, they had kissed before, but nothing like this.

Her heart pounded as all the love, desperation, and adoration poured into her, from his lips to hers. Before now he held back, but her words triggered a waterfall of affection she didn't expect.

What started as slow and sweet picked up speed, and his tongue tangled with hers, and every nerve in her body was on fire. His hands purposefully moved beneath her shirt, pressing deeply into the skin of her lower back. She felt every part of him pressed against her, leaving her breathless. She wanted to let her hands go where they wanted, to touch, and feel, but she knew this was not the night for that. But it would be, very soon. This taste, this preview, excited her in a way she never knew possible, and she couldn't wait until they could let this run its course.

His lips broke away from hers, leaving both their breathing swift and in sync. His voice was deep, low, filled with deep sincerity, "I love you too. More than I've loved anyone, ever." He gave her another quick kiss before laying back into the pillows. She knew he was exhausted, but she couldn't go one more day without telling him.

She snuggled back into him, throwing her leg over his, and returning her head to his shoulder. "Go to sleep, El." She planted a kiss on his bare shoulder. "I'll be here in the morning." She kissed his neck and settled into him, savoring the warmth of his body against hers, knowing this was the beginning of something. Something she waited her entire life for.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Elliot awoke to Liv's alarm blaring from the other side of the bed. He tried to reach for it, but the stabbing pain reminded him about all his current physical limitations. Last night would have gone much differently if his abdomen didn't have a hole in it. However, he knew without this injury, last night wouldn't have happened and Liv would still be keeping him at arm's length.

Liv groaned. "I don't want to get up." She kissed his shoulder, "I just want to stay here."

"Okay by me," He kissed her head, "But you might want to turn that off before Noah comes investigating."

"Yeah, probably," she sighed. She rolled over and shut her alarm off, but immediately tucked herself back into the warm nook she had situated herself into last night.

Elliot brushed her hair away from her face, remembering her words, and hoping none of it was a dream. He knew it was real when she began kissing him. Her mouth on his nearly made his heart burst.

She pulled back, but she looked like she wanted to continue. All he wanted to do was watch her. For years she was everything he could never have, and now, she laid in his bed, kissing him breathless. "I gotta get Noah going." She sat up and stretched. He resisted the urge to pull her back down to him. He knew she needed time to process this before revealing anything to Noah.

"Get him going for the morning, and then you can come get me ready for the morning." He smirked and she laughed at the absurd insinuation. She kneeled over him, and placed another quick kiss to his lips, before her brown eyes met his. "Love you." Her gaze was intense and meaningful.

He reached his hand up to her face, "I love you too."

She smiled before scooting off the bed and heading off to Eli's room to wake Noah.

He laid back with his arm behind his head. None of this felt real, but he knew it was. She slept in his bed last night, and she loved him. His life never felt more complete.