Prompt Quote #47: "Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches." — William Goldman, 'The Princess Bride'
Do I Love You?
~oOo~
January 14th, 2024, 6:26 PM, Apartment of Olivia Benson
"Noah, have fun with Aunt Amanda, Uncle Sonny, and the kids tonight okay? And behave," Olivia said, pulling her son close and kissing his curls before he could leave the apartment as she was going on her first official formal date with Elliot tonight.
Olivia, Elliot, and Noah had spent several informal evenings at Olivia's apartment, eating things like pizza or sandwiches, playing games, and watching movies together. Olivia and Elliot had even made out a little a couple of times once Noah was in bed but no clothes had been taken off and they had never dressed up for each other before tonight.
"I will, Mom. You have fun with Elliot too," he said with a smile before giving her a quick one-armed hug and starting to walk towards the door where Carisi was patiently waiting and texting with Rollins.
"I will, Honey," she said with a slightly nervous smile, trying to clear her nerves and talk to Noah while sending him out.
"Don't be nervous either. Elliot's lots of fun, you know this."
Of course, I'm nervous, Noah we've done everything backward, you don't know that though and I love your innocence, she thought to herself as she chuckled slightly. "Yeah, he can be, can't he?"
"Mmhmm. I wanna build more trains with him."
"Maybe you can soon, Baby. Love you."
"I love you too," he said and once he and Carisi left, Olivia went into her bedroom and put on her dress that she had planned to wear.
~oOo~
"Dammit," Olivia whispered once she was standing in front of her mirror, as her dress fit perfectly but one small cigarette-shaped scar was visible. "No no no no no w—what am I gonna wear now?" she whispered as she took the dress off and started rifling through her closet for more options.
I shouldn't have agreed to this date on such short notice, I should have gone to a clothing store and tried dresses on there to find the perfect one. Shit shit shit, now I'm screwed, she realized in a mix of sadness and anger as all her other dresses were either way too modest or revealed more of her skin than the other one had.
After standing there for a couple minutes with tears in her eyes, Olivia composed herself, put on one of the modest dresses, then stood back in front of the mirror and looked at herself.
She shook her head in disapproval at what she saw just as her 6:40 alarm on her phone went off, warning her that he would be there in twenty minutes. Okay, I don't have time for this. I still have to put my makeup on I'll just have to wear the first one…M—maybe he won't look too hard, she hoped as she put the first dress back on, put on her perfume, and then got to work on her makeup.
~oOo~
6:54 PM
Olivia's apartment buzzer sounded and a mixture of nerves and excitement flooded through her body. "J—just a minute, El!" she called loudly as she was applying a skin-tone powder to her showing scar.
"Take your time!" he called back and she sighed in relief while reaching for her apricot concealer as she applied that to the scar as well before stepping back in front of the mirror.
Not perfect but this is as good as it's gonna be, she decided as she moved a little of her hair to cover the area for good measure. She quickly slipped her high heels on, walked to the door, and opened it with slightly trembling fingers.
"Hey," Elliot said with a soft smile upon seeing her. He was wearing a matching navy blue suit and tie.
"H-Hey El sorry about the wait, come in," she said with a nervous smile stepping aside.
Elliot nodded, stepped in, and then took one of her hands in his. His other one was hidden behind his back. "You okay, Liv?" he asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm just nervous. This is a long time coming and a lot's riding on it."
He began stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "Don't be nervous. You look beautiful, Baby, and it's not like we don't already know we're compatible. We've proven that already," he said before winking.
You haven't seen my whole body yet, El, she thought to herself as she nodded and returned his wink with a smile. "You look handsome, too."
"Thank you, Baby," he murmured before kissing her on the lips tenderly. "I have something for you."
She returned the kiss in kind. "Ohh?"
Elliot nodded and showed her the bouquet of lilies that he had been holding in his other hand.
She gasped. "Ohhh, El. I love them. They're so beautiful..." she said, gently taking them.
He nodded relieved, tucked her hair behind her ear gently, and then started stroking her cheek. "I'm glad you like them. You deserve them and more."
She blushed slightly. "Thanks, El. Uh, you're smearing my makeup."
"I don't care you. Don't need that crap anyway."
"Yeah, I do."
"No you don't," he murmured before kissing her temple.
She just nodded. "I'm gonna go put these in a vase."
"Kay," he said.
Once her back was towards him, she repositioned her hair back over the scar, then tended to her flowers.
At that exact moment, Elliot's phone beeped with an alert. "Please don't tell me you're being called in," Liv said, walking back over.
Elliot shook his head. "I've got the OCCB team on Do Not Disturb. It was my NOAA weather app," he said before clicking on the notification. "Looks like we're supposed to get some snow and ice at some point tonight."
"Damn," she said and he nodded.
"You might auta go put on some flat shoes, Baby."
Olivia shook her head. "I'll be fine. I wanna look my best for you."
"You look beautiful to me no matter what you wear."
"Thank you, when's our reservation?"
"7:30."
Olivia nodded. "We should head on out then so we're not late."
Elliot nodded in agreement realizing that she wasn't gonna change shoes and gently retucked her hair behind her ear, again not realizing she had placed it where it was intensionally. This time though, he noticed the concealer. There must be a scar there from that animal that she's scared for me to see, he realized, thinking briefly back to their short William Lewis conversation. He didn't let anything show on his face, she took his arm, and they walked out to his Tahoe.
~oOo~
"So where are we going?" Olivia asked once they had been driving for a few minutes, her hand in his.
Elliot smiled. "Blue Hill. I thought on it a lot and since you have a boy now, I figured you guys probably eat four-course meals like what they serve there sometimes, plus you deserve fine dining."
She blushed slightly. "We do when we can. I don't get to cook for him as much as I'd like to though, and I'm still not that good at it."
"I'm sure that's not true."
Olivia smiled through a slight chuckle. "It is but I will say I'm better at it than I used to be. I can fix things like spaghetti, lasagna, and stir-fry now without them scorching, so..."
Elliot smiled and squeezed her hand. "That's better than my capabilities at the moment. Unless you wanna count hamburgers, hotdogs, and frozen meals."
"I count those."
He smiled softly and stroked her knuckles. "You're too sweet."
Olivia smiled and nodded. "It's because I love you."
"I love you too, Baby," he murmured and a minute later they were at the restaurant. "You ready to go in?" he asked once they had parked.
"Yeah, I am. This looks like a really nice place. You picked well."
"Thanks. You've never been here before?"
"I haven't. I think that's a good thing though. I get to have this first with you."
"I love the way you think," he said. They got out then and walked arm and arm into the restaurant.
~oOo~
"It's very crowded," Olivia said once they were inside the door. Every table was occupied.
"Yeah, it is. Maybe that bodes well for their service," El said as a young woman walked over. "What's the name on the reservation?"
"Stabler," Elliot said with a smile.
She nodded her head. "I'm sorry but it's gonna be about a half hour wait. If you guys can just stand against that wall over there?" she said, pointing.
"A half hour? Our reservation is for 7:30 and it's," El glanced at his watch, "7:28."
"I know and I'm really sorry. It's just a lot of people moved their reservations up because of the expected snow and ice so we're really backed up."
"We understand, Ma'am, it's alright. We know you all are doing your best. Come on, El," Olivia said, intervening and leading him to the wall.
"7:30 is supposed to mean 7:30. They should still have to accommodate us even if it's an outdoor table," he grumbled while letting her lead him.
"I don't think I would enjoy an outdoor table tonight with how cold it is, do you?"
"No, but that's not the point."
"What is it then? Because they can't help it."
"Baby, I wanted tonight to be perfect for you."
She nodded and her expression softened. "It will be. You're with me and that's all that matters... It's all I need."
He nodded slightly and pulled her close to him. "I'm here, Baby, and I'm never leaving again, never."
"Even if another UC op comes calling?" she whispered.
He nodded and tightened his arms ever so slightly. "Even if another UC op comes calling. Bell asked me to bring Eddie Ashes back to life and go back under Thursday and I told her no. I did tell her I'd mentor my replacement though."
Olivia nodded. "That would be a really good thing. You've got a lot of wisdom you can pass on. That would help them in a lot of ways," she said before taking a deep breath in. "I love the cologne you decided to wear tonight. The smell and your arms around me, make me feel so safe."
He smiled and kissed her temple. "I'm glad. I always want you to feel safe with me."
"I do," she whispered, her gaze and tone heartfelt.
"I'm glad," he murmured as they moved apart and leaned against the wall side by side, their fingers lightly touching.
Twenty minutes later, Olivia sighed. "I should've listened to you and found some flats. My ankle isn't liking this much at all," she whispered.
Elliot nodded his head sympathetically. "Why don't I move over to your right side then? That way you can lean against me and take some of the pressure off it?"
"You don't have to do that."
"I know but I want you to be comfortable," he said as he squeezed her fingers once, then quickly moved to her other side. "Okay," he murmured.
Olivia stepped closer to him until their legs and sides were touching. "Lean into me," he whispered.
She ended up glancing around slightly at all the other people. "Don't worry about them. It's okay. I'm not gonna let you fall."
She nodded, leaned into him, and then let out a sigh of relief at the pressure being off her ankle.
"Better?" he asked as he gently held her against him, supporting her weight.
"A lot. Thank you," she said with a grateful smile.
Elliot shook his head dismissively then kissed her temple.
"You guys been waiting a while?" A woman who looked to be in her late thirties asked as she walked over. She and her daughter had just been sent to the wall.
"Twenty-three minutes," Elliot said through a slightly frustrated sigh.
She nodded as Olivia stroked his arm. "You two look sweet."
"Thanks," they said in unison as Olivia blushed slightly.
She nodded with a slight smile.
"Mom, let's just go somewhere else," the teenager said slightly annoyed.
"I'm sure it'll be this way everywhere. Besides, it's us spending time together that really counts, right?" The girl nodded and she slightly smiled again before looking back to Elliot. "Do you guys by any chance know what the hold-up is?"
He sighed. "The expected snow and ice made everybody panic and move their reservations up apparently."
"There's gonna be snow and ice?"
"That's what my NOAA weather app said about an hour ago."
She nodded. "Do you know when it's gonna start? Or how much we're gonna get?"
"I don't, I'm sorry."
The woman just nodded. "We need to go, Crystal," she said adamantly.
"But mom..."
"We'll come back tomorrow or Monday. It's gonna take us hours to be served here tonight and I'm not driving in that."
"But we might not even get anything..."
"That's true but it's better to be safe than sorry. Come on," she said and Liv and El watched them walk out.
"She's a smart woman," Liv said.
"Yeah maybe. You thinking about following in her footsteps?"
Olivia shook her head. "Definitely not. We've waited long enough for this."
"Yeah, we have," he said. Just then, their attention was diverted to across the room.
"Why are you taking calls from her?!" an angry woman shouted at a table.
"Because she's got my son, Susan. I can never not answer her calls for that reason. You know that!"
"All I ask for is your undivided attention two nights a week and I expect you to be able to give that to me! If you can't, then I'll go find someone who can!"
"You do that then. Because I do my damn best but Jacob's always gonna be my number one priority and if you can't accept that then—"
"Whatever!" she shouted as she threw a glass, and then grabbed her purse as they both made their way towards the exit.
"Ma'am! Sir! Wait your tab!" their young server shouted.
The two of them both ignored her as Olivia silently moved from Elliot's hold and stood on her own power after they exchanged a quick look.
"NYPD stop!" they said in unison.
They kept moving. "Go, El, I can't run in these heels, but I'll follow you," she said as Elliot nodded.
A minute later, Elliot had the man by his arm. "NYPD what's your name?" he asked.
"You're not NYPD."
"Yes, I am. I'm Detective Stabler and that's," he pointed at Liv who was making her way towards them, "Captain Benson. I understand that you and your girlfriend are both upset but one of you has to pay for your meal."
"Susan's gone. She slipped out the back," Liv said.
Elliot nodded. "Then you have to pay, Sir. What's your name?"
"Bryan. You two don't look like the law to me."
"We're off-duty and on a date. Bryan what?"
"Philips," he said as the restaurant manager was walking over now.
Elliot nodded. "Just pay for your meal then you can leave."
"We barely even touched it I'm not paying for something I didn't eat."
"That's what a to-go box is for," Liv said as Elliot nodded. "Yeah give hers to your son. I'm sure he'd enjoy that very much. How old is he?"
"He's four, he has Cerebral Palsy too. She was so selfish..."
"I know she was, I heard everything. But your son's condition is all the more reason why you need to go ahead and pay for your meal. I'd hate to see you get arrested tonight."
"I ate like two bites, that's it," he said as he started to try and leave again.
"Bryan, it doesn't matter if you ate one bite, 100 plates, or threw it all in the garbage. The chef prepared it for you, so you have to pay for it," El said, retaking the man's arm and pulling him back over.
"Sabrina, clean that glass off the floor and disinfect the table, I'm giving it to these police officers. Also only charge them half price," the manager said as Bryan just pulled his arm away again.
"Listen to me. I'm not gonna chase you anymore and we don't have a gun or handcuffs on us so if you're gonna leave, leave. But I know your name and exactly what you look like. So if you do that, I will give a statement and you will be arrested. Is this really worth that?" El asked.
Bryan finally shook his head resignedly and pulled out his wallet.
"Thank you, Sir," the manager said, giving Elliot a grateful look.
"No problem. We couldn't just stand there and watch them leave. It's not in our nature," he said as Liv nodded in agreement.
The manager nodded. "I can tell you're both good cops. I'm Todd, by the way. Please enjoy your meal."
"We will, thank you so much," Elliot said. He then stepped over to Liv and they walked to their table. It was long, there was a candle in the middle, and the two chairs were across from one another.
"Ohh, El, you don't have to do that," Liv said as he pulled out her chair for her.
"I know. But chivalry still exists, Benson," he said with a smile. Once she was seated, he moved to sit down himself.
"El, why don't you sit beside me? We'll be able to hear each other better that way," she said.
Elliot smiled softly at her. "Okay, I'll move my chair over. That's not why you want me beside you though," he said knowingly.
Olivia blushed embarrassed. "Let's just pretend it is."
Elliot gave her a disarming grin. "Hey, I'm honored, Liv, really. And proud of my magical touch abilities," he teased her. Once he was seated, he placed his arm on the back of her chair.
Olivia leaned into it. "Did I really say that?"
"Mmhmm last time I stayed over, you were almost all the way out, and when I stroked your hair, you mumbled something about me having the magic touch. A lot of it was incoherent though."
"Good," she said as her cheeks reddened again. "That's so embarrassing."
"Aww, well, it shouldn't be. It made me feel really good, hearing you say that. It let me know I was doing something right. And you saying it in such a vulnerable state like that, let me know it was how you really felt."
Olivia nodded as her expression grew slightly vulnerable. "Your touch always relaxes me, El. As a little girl I was so touch-starved," she whispered.
"I get it," he murmured as he moved his hand up slightly, and started stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry your mother did you that way. It was wrong."
Olivia nodded slightly. "Yeah, it was. But it's not your fault, El. Why don't we order?"
"Sounds good. Just know," he paused, rubbed a couple of circles on her shoulder, then patted it gently, "anytime okay? Anytime."
Olivia nodded and they shared a tender kiss as he gently cradled her head. "I love you, El," she whispered once their mouths broke apart.
"I love you too, Baby," he whispered as they then glanced at the menu, choosing to share one.
"Hi, are you guys ready to order?" Sabrina asked the couple a few minutes later.
"Yes, Ma'am, we are. I'd like to get your Shepherd's Pie, a slice of apple pie, and a glass of lemonade, please," El said.
Sabrina nodded then looked to Liv.
"I'd like a plate of your meatloaf, please. With mashed potatoes and a homemade roll as my sides."
"Okay, would you like a drink or dessert?"
"Both, please. I'd like a glass of lemonade and a slice of your chocolate cheesecake."
Sabrina nodded her head. "I'll have all this out to you as soon as possible. Would either of you like appetizers to start?"
They shared a quick look. "We'll share a basket of rolls, thank you, Ma'am," El said with a smile.
"No problem," she said, walking off with a smile and they spent the wait for their food talking about everything and nothing.
~oOo~
"My god, El, that looks so good," Olivia said, her mouth watering slightly as she looked at his pie, her meatloaf not there yet as it still needed about ten minutes to finish.
"Yeah, it does. And I love meatloaf too, so why don't we share our meals? That way neither one of us has to wait anymore?"
"Sounds like a plan to me, I'm starving."
"You and me both," he said as after scooting his plate to where she could reach it. They each used separate forks to devour the pie from opposite sides of the plate.
"I've got your meatloaf here, Captain Benson, I'm so sorry for the wait," Sabrina said a few minutes later as she noticed them both going at the pie. "Are you guys enjoying the Shepherd's Pie tonight?"
"Mmhmm," Elliot said, nodding vigorously while swallowing and putting another bite on his fork.
"Yes, Ma'am, very much so," Olivia said with a smile after swallowing.
"That's great. I'm really glad to hear that. Do you guys need any drink refills?"
"Please," Olivia said, nodding and pointing at both glasses.
Sabrina nodded. "Yes, Ma'am, I'll have your desserts out to you soon."
"No rush," Elliot said with a smile after eating the last bite of Shepherd's Pie.
Sabrina nodded, smiled then stepped away, and he smiled at Liv. "So, you ready to attack this meatloaf, partner?" he asked.
"I most definitely am," she said with a smile and once the plate was situated, they attacked it with equal vigor.
As they started becoming full, they slowed down a little and began feeding each other. "I call the roll, then I'm done. I wanna be able to eat some of my cheesecake," Olivia said.
Elliot nodded and smiled softly. "The roll's yours."
She nodded with a smile and took her time eating it. "I think their rolls are my favorite part so far," she said as she swallowed.
"They're good. I'll give you that, but the Shepherd's Pie is better."
"You think?"
"Mmhmm. I could've kept eating and eating it."
"I could tell you were quite ravenous."
"I was hungry, what can I say?" he said as he squeezed her shoulder gently.
Olivia smiled softly at him and tilted her head to the side so it gently touched the back of his hand.
"I love your hair, you know that?" he murmured, flipping his hand over and gently stroking it again.
"I haven't noticed," she whispered with a flirty smile.
"No? Then that means I haven't been doing my job very well, have I? Take the desserts to go?" he asked, moving a finger down to the pulse point on her neck and gently rubbing a few circles on it.
She nodded and placed her hand on his thigh. "And the rest of the meatloaf. I wanna give it to Noah tomorrow. For the record though, you do a very good job showing me, El," she whispered emotionally.
Elliot nodded, smiled softly at her, then took her hand just as the restaurant's bell rang. They both turned their eyes to face the front.
"Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen, if I can have your attention for a moment? Unfortunately, the predicted ice and snow have started falling earlier than expected and the sidewalk is already covered with snow and patches of ice. The roads will also be hazardous to drive on very soon so as a result of this, we need to work on getting everyone out of here and closing our doors as soon as possible," Todd said.
A lot of the younger patrons let out disgruntled sighs.
"Looks like our libidos hollered at the perfect time, hmm?" Elliot murmured.
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, w—we'll need to talk before we do anything tonight though, El," she whispered after her brain had had a chance to catch up with her heart, and she was now feeling some nerves as a result.
"Of course," he murmured as he squeezed her hand gently. "We won't do anything you're not comfortable with, Baby. I'll follow your lead."
Olivia nodded, squeezed his hand, and relaxed again as they looked back up front.
"To do that, I'm gonna need everyone who is currently dining now to pay your tabs and go ahead and take the rest of your food to go so that we can get everyone else's orders. No one else will be dining in tonight. Everyone here will have to take your food to go."
"That's not what we're paying for," a young man exclaimed.
"I understand that, Sir, and this will be taken into account the next time you come here, but this is for safety and I have to take everyone's safety seriously."
"Our safety's not your responsibility!"
"Sir, it is. I apologize," Todd said when a server placed to-go boxes on Olivia and Elliot's table.
Their focus drifted from the argument and they started picking them without complaint. "My place or yours?" El asked softly.
"Which ever's best for you."
Elliot shook his head slightly. "I don't have anyone I have to work around or consider. Eli's back in Colorado and Mama's safe at Surfside. You've got Noah to consider so you tell me which is easier for you."
Olivia nodded slightly. "Mine it is. Let's go to mine."
Elliot nodded his head. "Okay, we can do that. Do we need to pick Noah up on our way there?"
"Maybe. But that would defeat the purpose of a night alone. Let's just see how bad it is out there first, okay?"
"Okay, that works for me. Just know, I don't mind if you need to. He always comes first. Plus, it's not like I don't know how to be quiet. I'm gonna pay our bill, then we can go."
Olivia nodded and a couple minutes later they were stepping out of the Blue Hill, arm and arm. "They gave us a discount for helping out with Bryan earlier," El said as they walked.
"That was nice of them. I guess that shows that all good deeds don't really go unpunished," she said and then frowned at the snow and sleet that were falling. "Hold onto me, El, I don't wanna fall in these heels."
Elliot nodded and gently threaded his arm through hers. "I gotcha, Baby. Don't worry, we're almost there," he said as his Tahoe was in seeing distance now.
Olivia nodded and a minute later she climbed in slow and steady. "I'm gonna check the radar and see how long this is gonna last for," Elliot said once he was in the driver's seat.
Olivia nodded her head. "I don't have a radar on my phone but I need to get one. Is yours free?"
Elliot shook his head. "It's a one-time charge of 4 dollars and 99 cents but it's well worth it, trust me," he said as he opened his radar, then gave her a grave look. "Liv, you need to call Noah."
She nodded with a sigh. "That bad?"
Elliot nodded. "It's worse than you're even thinking, Liv. We're forecasted to get a blizzard, snow, and ice for at least two days. It's saying a foot or more of precipitation is expected."
"Wow... Okay, I'll do that now. Do you feel comfortable driving out of here?"
"With both hands on the wheel, yeah, I do. But it's good we're leaving here now before it gets worse."
"Yeah it is," she said as she hit Rollins's contact number, then put her phone to her ear. "Hey, it's Liv. Have you seen the weather?" she asked after a minute.
"Uh, I see the snow and ice falling on the ground, yeah. And Noah, the girls, and Sonny are outside building snowmen right now in it. Why?"
"Umm, El's radar's showing we're gonna get a blizzard, Amanda."
"A blizzard? Liv, are you sure?"
"I'm sure he's using the NOAA weather radio app."
"Damn... My university hasn't announced any closures yet but I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time."
"Probably so. I was calling about Noah. We can be there to pick him up in around twenty minutes or so."
"You don't have to do that, Liv. We're both gonna be here and he's really excited. He, the girls, and Sonny planned to bake cookies in the morning and I'm gonna fix snow cream."
"That actually sounds really good. We missed starting on our desserts because of the weather. I can't ask you guys to keep him, though, because if the roads freeze over, I won't be able to pick him up."
"You're not asking, I'm offering. And you hardly ever have alone time with Elliot. Take this as an opportunity to get lucky. You need it."
Olivia blushed slightly. "That's sweet, Amanda, really. I need to make sure Noah doesn't wanna come home though."
"I understand. Do you want me to take the phone out there to him?"
"Please. I need to ask him before we drive any further out."
"Of course, hold on just a minute," she said and a minute later the phone was passed over.
"Hey, Mom!" Noah said cheerfully.
"Hey, honey. You having fun with Uncle Sonny, Aunt Amanda, and the kids?"
"Yeah, Uncle Sonny let me put the carrot nose on the snowman!"
"That's awesome. I won't keep you long then, but I need you to help me make a decision, okay?"
"A decision?"
"Yeah. Noah, we're supposed to get a blizzard. You remember what that is, right?"
"Yeah, they... They cut the power off and stuff," he whispered timidly.
"They can, that's right. It's not guaranteed that'll happen though, and you'll be safe if it does, I promise."
"Okay. A—Are you coming to pick me up?"
"I'm gonna let you make that choice, Noah. Do you want me to pick you up or do you wanna stay with Aunt Amanda, Uncle Sonny, and the kids?"
"Will Mr. Elliot be at our house?"
"Tonight, yes. Tomorrow, I'm not sure."
"Okay. I think I wanna keep building snowmen if that's okay?"
"It is, Noah. Just know if you change your mind unless the roads are too bad, I'll pick you up, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. Did you have fun with Mr. Elliot?"
"I did, yes. And thanks for asking, sweet boy."
Noah smiled with a chuckle "See? I told you you shouldn't be nervous."
Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you did. I'm gonna let you go, okay, Honey?"
"Okay, Mom. I love you."
"Love you too, and have fun, okay?"
"I will," he said before handing Amanda her phone back. While Liv enquired about Dominick Jr., Elliot turned the Tahoe around and headed towards Olivia's apartment.
~oOo~
"You wanna play Guess the Artist?" Liv asked five minutes later after ending her call.
"Uh, sure. But I've gotta tell you I'm a little rusty, it's been a long time since I played that."
"Same here. How long's it been for you?"
"Thirteen years. You?" he asked softly.
"Thirteen years," she whispered.
"You never tried again after...?"
She shook her head and swallowed hard. "That was our thing, El. Nick Amaro, the rookie I trained, wanted to play Guess the Song Title one night during a stake-out a month after you retired, and I teared up and told him no because it was too similar in my head. After that, he never asked again and Fin knew better."
"Liv, I'm so sorry, Baby...so sorry. I'd take your hand right now if the road wasn't so—"
She shook her head slightly. "It's okay, El. It's time for us to leave the past behind and make new memories. Who's going first?"
"Used to whoever asked to play went first, so that's you, Baby."
Olivia nodded. "Alright, here's the verse. Warden through a party in the county jail, the prison band was there and they began to wail, the band was jumping and the joint began to swing..."
Elliot chuckled slightly as they got stuck behind a slow cab. "You can do better than that, Liv. That's Elvis."
"Elvis who?" she asked with a smile.
He chuckled again. "Presley, of course. My turn."
She nodded and he smiled. "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike, I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride it where I like..."
Olivia chuckled. "Are you playing with me, El? I remember you used to play with me sometimes and make up lyrics when you were bored but it was never this early in the game."
"No, believe it or not, these are lyrics to an actual song. You remember our clue rules?"
She nodded. "We can ask each other yes or no questions other than that, the clues must be volunteered. Also, we can't google it."
"Yep," he said as he smiled. "The song is sung by a band."
"Hmm, okay. Is it One Direction? I can see them singing silly lyrics like that."
"Nope, not One Direction. Try again."
"Okay hmm...Was the song released after 2010?"
"No."
"Before 2000?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "Did your kids listen to it over and over when they were little?"
"No," he said as he was finally able to pass the cab and sighed in relief.
She nodded. "So, it's not on a cartoon?"
"No, it's sung by a band."
"Okay. The only band I can think of that might have a song with lyrics like that is Queen but I can't see them singing anything like that...Hmm." She tapped her head.
"Is Queen your guess?"
"No, I don't think that's a song they would sing."
"Why not?"
Olivia's brow lifted. "Why are you asking me that?"
Elliot chuckled. "Yes or no questions only, Baby."
She nodded. "It must be Queen or you wouldn't have asked me that."
"It is. The song's called Bicycle Race. You read me really well. Good job."
She nodded and smiled. "Thanks. You've changed some, but you're still the El I knew and loved." She then frowned. "I—I hope it doesn't upset you that I said that."
"If it's the truth then it doesn't, Liv. Neither one of us acted on our feelings back then and that's what matters."
"True," she whispered before nodding. "Shall we do another round?"
"Sure," he said with a smile and she nodded, tapped her head, and then opened her mouth to speak.
"Your head is humming and it won't go. In case you don't know, the piper's calling you to join him. Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know? Your stairway lies on the whispering will."
"That's uh...Uh...Hmm..."
"You don't know that song?" Liv asked shocked.
"I know I've heard it before a bunch of times on the radio. I just don't remember who sings it..." He clicked his tongue a couple of times "Hmmm..."
"I'll give you a clue. It's a classic rock song."
"I figured that much, all of these are... Hmm is it sung by a band?"
"Yes."
He nodded "Is it Queen?"
"No."
"Journey?"
"No."
"Doobie Brothers?"
"No."
"Gatlin Brothers?"
Olivia chuckled. "They're country, El."
"Ohh," he said while noddin.g "The Eagles?"
"No."
He nodded. "And you're sure it's classic rock?"
"Positive."
Elliot nodded. "I give up just tell me, Liv."
She smirked. "Would you have let me give up back in the day?"
"No, but you also sang the lyrics to me back in the day."
"My voice isn't what it used to be back in the day."
"Aww, I'm sure that's not true."
"It is. I'll tell you though. It was Led Zeppelin."
Elliot gasped and nodded vigorously in remembrance. "Oh yeah, Stairway to Heaven. John loved that song!"
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, he did. Noah would fall asleep to the slow part of it too as a baby."
Elliot nodded and smiled softly at that. "My turn," he said while pulling onto Olivia's block.
Olivia nodded and he smiled. "Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go. You have made my life complete, and I love you so. Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled, for my darling I love you, and I always will," he sang in a soft melody.
"That's Elvis Presley."
Elliot nodded silently. "Love me tender, love me long, take me to your heart. For it's there that I belong, and will never part. Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darling, I love you, and I always will. Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine. I'll stay yours through all the years, till the end of time."
"E—El?" She whispered confused. But a second later, she realized what he was doing, and her expression transformed to one of adoration.
"Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darling I love you, and I always will..." he finished softly as he parked.
"T—That was beautiful, El, thank you for singing that to me. I love you too," she whispered while taking off her seatbelt. She leaned over to give him a tender kiss.
"It was my pleasure, Liv. You deserved it and more," he said and they ended up kissing passionately for a minute. "You ready to go inside?" El asked once their mouths had broken apart.
Olivia nodded with a smile, opened her door, and stepped down from the Tahoe. But as she did, she slid on some ice and fell, landing on her bad ankle. "Ahhh!" she cried out while trying to stand up but she couldn't, and fell down again.
"Liv! Liv, wait a minute, wait a minute, I'm coming, I promise!" Elliot said while running over to her.
"I can...g—get up, El, d—don't fall too," she said as she tried again a second time. "Ahhh!" she cried out again while falling back over.
Elliot kept running as fast as his legs would carry him and a couple of seconds later, he was over by her side. "Let me see it, Baby... Let me see," he murmured urgently.
"I—It's twisted. I—I twisted it, b—but I—I'm fine."
Elliot shook his head slightly. "I'm gonna pick you up, okay? Was it your good ankle or bad ankle?"
"B—Bad. I—I'll walk though. It was my fault I—I shouldn't have worn high heels."
"Yeah, maybe, but I understand why you didn't. I'm picking you up though and don't say I can't, because I can, no problem and I don't want you in more pain than necessary. Ready 1 2 3," he lifted her into his arms effortlessly.
"Ahhh!" she cried out again when her ankle jostled.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, Liv. I'm sorry," he murmured as he walked.
"I—It's okay," she whispered as her ankle began to swell.
"I'm gonna put some ice on that when we get in," he murmured as the doorman Jorge saw them entering the building.
"Captain Benson, are you okay?" he asked concerned.
Olivia nodded. "I—I twisted my ankle. E—El's taking me upstairs. H—he didn't think I could walk on it."
"By the sound of your voice, I think he was right about that. Take care, Captain Benson."
"T—Thank you you too, Jorge," she said as Elliot stepped onto the elevator.
"You think you can unlock your door for me?" he asked softly.
"Mmhmm," she said as she fished her keys out of her pocket. "S—sorry I ruined the evening."
Elliot shook his head adamantly. "You didn't ruin anything, I promise."
She nodded slightly and he smiled. He kissed her temple then stepped out of the elevator and towards her apartment. "I—I think my couch would feel really good right about now," Olivia said while unlocking the door.
"How about we do you better than that, and I lay you on your bed?" El murmured.
"Y—You won't leave will you?"
Elliot shook his head. "Not a chance. You're stuck with me till this blizzard's over, Benson."
"Good," she whispered and a minute later he kissed her temple, and then laid her down on her bed.
"I'll be right back with some ice for your ankle, okay?" he murmured.
She nodded slightly. "T—the ice packs are in the freezer. Noah has to use them quite a bit for dance."
"I remember, Honey. You're gonna need a bigger one than that though, so I'm gonna make it for you. I know how, I promise."
She chuckled slightly. "I know, El, I was just trying to help."
He smiled softly. "I know. I'll be right back," he said and with that, he quickly stepped out wanting to relieve her discomfort quickly.
A minute later, he walked back in with an icepack and a damp washcloth. "I'm gonna put this ice pack on your ankle then take your high heels off okay?" he murmured.
"I—I can try to help."
Elliot shook his head slightly. "You'll be more comfortable lying down, Baby, unless you wanna take your dress off?"
She shook her head. "I'll leave it on."
"You sure? I can help you with that too," he murmured while gently applying the ice pack.
"Mmhmm, I would have to dress into pajama pants, and that would put pressure on my ankle."
"Good point," he whispered while removing her heels. He gently started wiping the makeup off her face with the damp cloth.
"El, y—you don't have to do all this..."
"I know," he murmured softly. Once he finished with her face, he started stroking her hair while gently wiping the concealer and powders from the scar she had covered up.
She teared up slightly. "Y—You weren't supposed to see that tonight. Y—You weren't supposed to notice."
"I know, Honey. I was gonna see them sooner or later though and I don't care about the scars, I really don't. You're just as beautiful with them as you were without them."
"T—Them? Y-You've seen all of them?"
"I've only seen this one, Liv, but I know you have more because you told me a little about Lewis and I'm not an idiot. I don't care though, I really don't. I love you so much, I always have and nothing's gonna change that or separate us again, I promise you that."
She nodded slightly, finally fully believing him. "W—will you lay down with me, El?"
"I will. Just let me bring our desserts in and find your heating pad first. Once I'm holding you, I wanna keep doing it, while I tend to your ankle."
"M—my heating pad's in the bathroom cabinet a—and I think I'll eat my dessert tomorrow."
Elliot nodded. "I will too then," he whispered. After quickly bringing the heating pad over, he climbed into the bed and carefully cradled her head against his chest. "You comfortable?" he murmured.
Olivia nodded and he smiled relieved. He gently kissed her temple over and over. "Y—you really do love me, don't you?" Olivia whispered after a few minutes.
Elliot nodded gently. "Do I love you? If your love was a grain of sand mine would be a universe of beaches. That's how much I love you, Baby. And I'm gonna spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making sure you never doubt it again," he whispered.
Olivia nodded "El, that's...That's so sweet what you just said..."
He shook his head. "No, it's true. It's a corny truth but it's the truth nonetheless Liv."
She nodded. "I—I believe you now, El. I believe you and I love you too," she whispered.
They shared a long tender kiss before he gently placed the heating pad on her ankle.
The author of this SVU - Quills & Shutters story will be revealed in October