Title: A Little Salty
Summary: Rafael runs into Olivia and Noah while on a beach vacation. The rest is history.
Notes: Thank you to JenParis for sharing the photo that inspired this story (follow me on Twitter to see the pic, lauri_fern)! This is also dedicated to Maria Belen as a (very belated) birthday present.
This was supposed to be a one shot but got away from me. Should be less than a handful of chapters.
There was nothing a good tropical vacation couldn't fix. At least, that's what Rafael told himself as he boarded the speed boat to get to Little Palm Island Resort in the Florida Keys. The salt air was already doing wonders for his mood and sinuses, though the sea breeze wreaked havoc on his hair. His thick beard was already too much with the heat and Rafael vowed to shave it off as soon as he was settled in his room.
The small island off the coast of Little Torch Key was a tropical oasis amid the Atlantic Ocean, leaving Rafael impressed as the boat pulled up to a long dock leading to a large clubhouse surrounded by vibrant palm trees. Once his feet touched the wooden planks of the dock and his name was given to a waiting member of the resort staff, his luggage was swept up and he was led into a large bungalow with vaulted ceilings and a thatched roof. The furnishings inside were equal parts tropical and luxurious. The suite was clearly meant for lovers with a couples' lounger and copper tub on the deck overlooking breathtaking views of the crystal blue water.
His joy faltered for a moment knowing that he'd be in the suite alone for the length of his stay. His thoughts briefly strayed to Olivia Benson. If only…
Shaking his head to banish the thoughts of what would never be, Rafael unpacked his bag, hanging his button-down shirts and khaki shorts, and placing his toiletries out of sight in a bathroom cabinet. He'd done enough obsessing over the SVU Captain and her treatment of him. He would not waste time with sour thoughts at a place like this, not when he need the relaxation and serenity of this trip so much. He was grateful that Rita Calhoun extended the invitation to join her and a few other friends on a week-long stay on the island. The tenacious woman clearly dropped a fortune on the reservations, yet he'd seen no sign of any other visitors yet.
He made quick work of trimming down the thickness of his beard before shaving it completely off, leaving him looking baby faced in a way he hadn't in years, not since he left the DA's office. Running his hands over the smoothness of his cheeks as he moisturized, Rafael felt lighter and younger, almost like a different person, without the beard. Shifting his gaze to the sight of his hair in the mirror, he sighed. The sea breeze did a number on his hair, but he liked the chaos of beach hair. It fit the setting.
It was only early afternoon, and the ocean was calling his name, so he changed into a salmon-colored tee shirt and striped board shorts, slipping on soft leather flip flops. He finished the look with a pair of aviator sunglasses, leaving the bungalow to explore the resort and find a good place to take a dip in the ocean. Hopefully, he'd find Rita somewhere along the way.
"This is so cool, Momma!" Noah exclaimed as he sat perched on the edge of his seat, the seatbelt barely restraining him, and stared out the window at the sparkling turquoise water below.
They were flying to Little Palm Island, where they'd stay for the week at Rita's invitation. Though, Olivia thought, it was more insistence than invitation. There was no saying no to the insistent woman. Case in point was the sea plane. Olivia was perfectly content to take the boat from Little Torch Key like a normal person, but Rita was adamant that the sea plane would be more entertaining. Sure enough, Noah agreed.
Still, she needed this getaway more than she'd like to admit. Things had been hectic in the past year, and nothing had gone as planned. She was nearing a breaking point as regrets started piling up. The sunshine and salt air would do wonders for her soul. The remoteness of the island would give her time to think… about how to fix things with old friends.
"Is that where we're staying?" Noah asked without moving his face from the window, looking down on the island and all its offerings. "It looks so cool!"
"That's it. Rita said it's called Little Palm Island Resort and they don't usually allow children, so you need to be on your best behavior. Ok?" She eyed the back of Noah's curly head with a smile, already knowing what his reaction would be.
"I'm always on my best behavior!" came the boy's reply, just as she expected.
"I know, sweet boy."
The plane came to a landing on the water with a splash and a delighted squeal from Noah. He could barely contain himself as it taxied to the dock. He might be a cool ten-year-old now, but he was still a little boy filled with innocent excitement, Liv thought as she gazed at him fondly. She hoped that innocence lasted forever, honestly.
"Make sure you say thank you to Aunt Rita when you see her. She's the reason we're here and got to ride on this plane." Olivia helped Noah with his backpack as they climbed out of the plane. Resort staff were already waiting to take their luggage and direct them to their room.
The staff led them to a beautiful bungalow suite with a furnished deck and a sandy, tree-lined path leading to the beach. Taking in the accommodations, Olivia sighed. It was tropical and luxurious… and it was all too much, really. She could never afford this resort normally. She'd have to find a way to pay Rita back somehow, even if it took her a few years.
Noah was still standing there wide-eyed, taking in every detail of their bungalow and the view outside when Olivia returned from settling her belongings in the larger bedroom.
"This is really cool, Momma," the little boy said, his voice full of wonder. He'd never been somewhere so fancy before.
"It really is," Olivia replied, directing him toward the other bedroom. "Why don't you change into your swim shorts, and we'll go grab a light lunch and swim after."
Rafael popped into the Great Room, slipping into a leather armchair to enjoy his iced coffee while taking in the tropical view beyond the windows. Aside from the resort staff, he hadn't seen another person, which was strange. Where the hell was Rita?
It was bizarre, but the island was too beautiful and relaxing to worry too much about anything. Well, as long as it didn't turn out to be some kind of Hotel California situation, he thought.
The sound of a sea plane approaching and landing caught his ears. Someone else was arriving, and he hoped it was Rita or someone else that he knew. He fought the urge to rush over to find out. Once his iced coffee was finished, Rafael strolled through the resort grounds, walking along the sand pathways between the bungalows, the fronds of the tall palm trees providing some relief from the blazing Florida sun.
He passed a pool, empty and inviting. He would take a dip later that evening, after a swim in the ocean, and take advantage of the Palapa Bar for some tropical beverages. After visiting the marina, checking out the now empty sea plane docked near the boat he arrived on, Rafael decided it was time to hit the beach.
Grabbing a white beach towel from a neatly rolled stack and tossing it over his shoulder, Rafael slipped off his flip flops and padded through the white sand toward the line of decadent lounge chairs. The sound of childish laughter caught his ears and his spirits lifted further. Finally, evidence there were other people here!
About mid-way down the line of chairs, Rafael caught sight of the other guests sitting beneath a large sun umbrella. He couldn't see their faces, but it was clearly a mother and a boy. He was going to leave them to their peace and select a chair some distance away when a slightly exasperated voice, well-known to him, reached his ears.
"Noah, sweet boy, let me put the sunblock on you first! Please!"
He halted in his tracks.
What were they doing here?
The young boy was too excited to sit still, slowly driving his mother crazy. The turquoise water was calm and inviting, and she decided to let him expend some of that energy splashing around, but first she had to wrangle some sunblock onto his squirming body.
"Moooomm," Noah complained as she smeared the lotion on his face.
"Okay, okay, I'm done," she replied, setting the bottle down. Just as she was going to let Noah run into the surf, someone approached them. About time they saw another guest, she thought. There had been no sign of anyone but staff since they arrived, which was unnerving.
Glancing up as the figure stopped and bent over to see them beneath the cover of the umbrella, Olivia gasped.
"Rafa!" Her thirsty eyes drank in the sight of him, hair disheveled from the sea breeze and humidity, and a broad smile spreading across his bare face. Then with a mixture of awe and disappointment, she added, "You shaved."
He laughed then, one long-fingered hand swiping over the smooth skin of his face. "It's nice to see you too, Liv." Turning to Noah, his smile widened further. "Hey buddy!"
"Uncle Rafa! Where have you been? I never see you anymore!" Noah launched himself at the man, hugging him tight as if to make up for lost time. Olivia's heart lurched at the sight. It was her fault Rafael hadn't been around, her feelings of betrayal preventing her from reaching out to him. Seeing her son and his favorite uncle soaking up the joy of each other's presence once again, those feelings suddenly seemed so ridiculous. She regretted it all.
Her heart flooded with feelings for Rafael, all those that she tamped down for years, that she falsely convinced herself weren't real or didn't matter. She couldn't see his eyes through the dark tint of his sunglasses, but she could feel the heat of his gaze on her, and warmth flooded her body.
"Would you like to join us?" Olivia interrupted their chatter.
Noah quickly latched onto the idea, dragging Rafael by the hand to the lounge chair next to his. "Yes! You can swim with me, and we can build a sandcastle!"
The smile never left Rafael's face and she watched him beaming at her son, her heart swelling. She missed these moments, and it was clear from the delighted expression that he did too.
"As long as you're sure, Liv," he murmured before agreeing to Noah's demands. She nodded, smiling warmly and his nose crinkled with the strength of his returning grin. "Good. It was beginning to get a little creepy with no other guests here."
"You noticed that too, huh?" After a beat, she added, "What are you doing here?"
"Rita invited me for the week," Rafael replied. "How about you?"
"Same. She's clearly up to something."
They laughed for a moment before Noah could contain his excitement no longer and dragged the man off to the water. She watched them chase each other through the surf, splashing and laughing with not a care in the world. This was how it was supposed to be, Olivia thought. If she hadn't been so afraid, she could have had this all along. They could have been a family.
If only…
"Are you back now?" Noah asked as they floated in the salty water. When Rafael didn't immediately respond, the little boy added, "Momma said you had to go away for a while."
He wondered how Olivia explained everything to Noah and now he had his answer. It was so much more than that, but the young boy didn't need to know that. "Yes, I'm back now. For good, I promise."
"Does that mean you'll come round the house again? Take me to the park and museums?" Noah peppered him with question after question and Rafael loved every minute of it. He would bend over backwards to make this boy happy. He'd also give anything to make the boy's mother happy, too… if that was even possible.
"I'd love to come around, buddy. Or you could come to my place, and we can do anything you want." Rafael pressed a hand down on Noah's curly head, playfully ducking him under the water. The boy came up sputtering and laughing, eagerly trying to duck Rafael in return.
"Need some help, sweet boy?" Olivia called as she approached the water. Rafael's body went limp at the sight of her in a sleek black one piece with a plunging neckline. Noah took advantage of the prime opportunity to strike, toppling Rafael under the water.
He came up coughing, eyes watering, and still couldn't force his gaze from the sight of her in that bathing suit. When she dipped below the surface to come up next to Noah, his stomach clenched as he watched droplets of saltwater drip down her neck and chest. His swim trunks grew tight, and he blanched. Shit, he was going to embarrass himself if he wasn't careful, he was sure of it.
Olivia smiled at him before sneakily dunking Noah under the water. Rafael watched them splash each other as he tried to regain control of his body, his thoughts. It had been far too long since he'd gotten laid and now every little thing had him ready to blow, it seemed.
They continued floating for some time before Rafael decided he needed a break. The situation in his swim trunks was resolved, for now, but he was in dire need of a drink to calm his nerves… and libido, apparently.
"Do you want to join us for dinner, Rafa?" Olivia asked as they dried off. "You know, since we seem to be the only ones here." She laughed.
"Sure," he chuckled in response. "I'd love the company."
"So would we." Beneath the umbrella, Olivia had removed her sunglasses and her dark chocolate eyes shined with warmth. "And maybe we could talk on the deck of our bungalow after Noah goes to sleep?"
"I'd like that," he breathed in return.
They parted ways then, heading back to their respective bungalows to wash up and change for dinner. As he stood under the cool spray of the walk-in shower, Rafael sent a silent thanks to his long-time friend for her interference in his life. This was clearly the push he and Olivia needed to fix things between them.
He went through the motions of styling his hair, taking in the sun-kissed glow of his skin as he did. It had been a long time since he had a tan. Slipping on a pair of khaki shorts and a polo, Rafael sprayed himself with a dash of Terre d'Hermes. The citrus undertones would play well with the ambient scent of salty air.
There were a few other guests in the dining room when he arrived, though no one that he knew. Rafael slipped into a seat at the bar to await the Bensons and perused the drinks menu. He felt the pull of a tropical drink calling his name, as atypical as that was for him. Perhaps a sweet Bay Breeze or tangy Sex on the Beach. When in Rome, right?
He settled on a Pineapple Mojito, sipping it and making small talk with the bartender until Olivia and Noah walked in. She was wearing a long, peach colored sundress, fitted through her midriff and flowing around her legs. Her dark hair was loose, falling in waves over her shoulders. Her skin was nearly as sun kissed as his, the color negating any need for makeup. The sight of her left him breathless.
Noah almost matched him in khaki shorts and a polo, his was red while Rafael's was a pale blue. He stood as they approached, lips spreading in a lopsided smile as Olivia surprised him with a soft press of her lips to his cheek.
"You look beautiful. The tropics suit you, Liv," he murmured as she stepped back. The blush that creeped up her neck was endearing. Turning to Noah, he ran his fingers through the young boy's damp curls. "You look dashing as well, young sir."
Noah chuckled; dimples prominent on his cheeks as he hugged his favorite uncle.
"Shall we?" Rafael asked, his arm extending toward a quiet table in the corner.
Olivia nodded, brushing a hand over his arm. "You look quite dashing yourself, Raf."
The three of them could not stop smiling as they seated themselves at the table. It was clear that they were all pleased to be there, together again. It was easy to slip back into old banter and conversations, like nothing changed, though the adults both knew they needed to have a conversation to fully clear the air. So enraptured with each other were the three of them, they never noticed the small group a well-dressed guests enter, seating themselves at the far end of the bar. One pair of keen eyes watched them, delicate lips stretched in a knowing smirk as the three of them finished dinner and exited the dining area.
It appeared the plan was working.
TBC
