So, picture this…
Waking up in the morning knowing that for the next two weeks of her life, everything is going to feel like paradise. Olivia could picture it all with her eyes wide open. Spain, the heat; the smell of olive branches in the village; white sand; clear water; blue skies. She could picture Fitz in nothing but a pair of swim trunks, running after her around the beach because she pulled some mischievous prank on him. She could picture Fitz taking her dancing; Fitz grilling kabobs. She could almost taste paradise in those sangrias. She could picture them drunk together over a bonfire, cuddled up outside on the beach and swapping stories while watching the stars up above. She could picture them just living life.
This has been what Olivia's been looking forward to since she purchased those tickets. She's kept Fitz on the phone almost every night, going over itineraries and plans for all the activities they planned on indulging in during their stay overseas. Those conversations always lasted hours up until the very day they were supposed to board the plane. Today was that day.
Bags are packed and she's riding in the back of a taxi to the airport with a goofy grin on her lips. Her heart is thumping in her chest from too much excitement but she can't seem to be bothered because all Olivia Pope can see is two glorious weeks in Spain with her best friend.
Because it is New York after all, evening traffic as always is a bitch but that also didn't bother Olivia the least bit. She was anxious to see Fitz to the point where she didn't know what to do with herself. Though they've spent every day leading to their trip talking on the phone, Fitz's schedule hasn't really allowed them to see much of each other since Sunday. The anticipation was killing her.
Finally, after the thirty-five minutes ride to JFK, Olivia is standing in front of the airport with a large suitcase before her. With the comings and goings out of the airport, Olivia sees over hundreds of faces in the span of a minute but none of them matter because she's only searching for one particular face; one particular pair of striking, clear, cornflower blue eyes. It takes her a few minutes but eventually, in the midst of a thousand other faces and voices, she hears him when he calls her name; towering over multiple people so that she can make him out. And even though Olivia can't quite see his face yet, she knows it's him because the sound of his voice is unmistakable to her. It's unique. And besides, no one else in the entire world calls her Fireball. Except for him.
The front of the airport starts to clear up a little bit as more people hop into cabs or private vehicles. And when she finally makes him out in the plentiful crowd surrounding them, Olivia stills. The wheels of her luggage comes to a halting stop and for just one minute, everything else around them ceased to exist. She can only see him and her breath is knocked out of her lungs because he's something else that she doesn't let herself dwell on too much when it comes to him.
He's so handsome. So beautiful.
He looks overworked and under slept, spotting three day's worth of stubble on his cheeks but in Olivia's eyes, he's never looked more gorgeous. They're even matching. He's wearing a pair of dark washed up jeans, a white V-neck t-shirt that clings to all the muscles of his upper body and a pair of navy blue chukka boots. He has one duffel bag slinging over one shoulder and he's beaming at her like the brightest star in the sky. He's beautiful and Olivia found that in that moment, he makes her a little bit breathless.
Olivia doesn't realize that he has moved until she's in his arms and he's hugging her so tight, she can barely breathe. But that doesn't matter to her either because she's hugging him just as tight, as though they haven't seen each other for a lifetime. And just like that, another epiphany amongst the infinite amounts that is sure to occur hit Olivia as she's enveloped in his arms. He doesn't have to be far away for too long - no matter what, she always misses him. Olivia didn't know what to make of it. All she knew was that she felt the most alive she's ever been in his arms, in that very moment.
When they finally pull away from their embrace, they wore similar smiles.
"Is it weird to say that I missed you?" Fitz asked.
Fitz's heart was slowly melting. He's been counting down the seconds until he could finally see her and now that she's actually in his arms, he didn't know what to do with himself. But after the last couple of days he's had, she's exactly what his soul needed. And he can't believe that they're standing at an airport about to board a plane on a spontaneous vacation to Spain. It's crazy. They're crazy. He's nervous, excited, overwhelmed but also so damn happy.
Fitz takes a moment to scan Olivia's face and he's mesmerized with her natural beauty as always. Her face is makeup free and she's rocking out her natural curls in that way that he absolutely loves. She was so beautiful and they were going to Spain to spend two weeks together in paradise, away from the rest of the world. The fire in the pit of Fitz's stomach only grew bigger. He didn't know if he was going to be able to control himself. He didn't know how he was going to keep up the charade of pretending if she was going to look so beautiful all the time over the next two weeks.
But he was smiling. He was way too excited to not be.
Smiling back at him, Olivia rose on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek. "I missed you too, Ace." She told him.
All Fitz can do is smile too. Grabbing Olivia's suitcase from her, he wrapped his free arm around her neck and just like that, they proceeded towards the airport to check in.
"You're excited?" Fitz asked.
Olivia nodded, looking up at him. "Two weeks in Spain with you, of course I'm excited." She replied.
Kissing her forehead, Fitz grinned. "Me too." He admitted. "But only cause it's Spain though." He teased.
That earned him a smack in the chest and a tweaking to his nipple.
"Ow!" Fitz screeched. "Why are you always so abusive to me, Livvie" He pouted, rubbing his chest.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you weren't such a stronzo all the time, I wouldn't be." She said sassily.
Once again, all Fitz could do was smile. The student has surpassed the teacher and he couldn't be more proud. Even when she was calling him an asshole.
…
After they checked out at the airline desk and went through security, they headed to a quaint mini bar/bistro right near their gate that served a mean burger and fries. Upon learning that neither of them has had a proper dinner before boarding a very long flight, Fitz had suggested they find some place to eat and have a few drink while killing time until they board their plane. Obviously, it was a great idea because Olivia was savoring ever last bite of that delicious burger she ordered. Following dinner and a few glasses of wine, they walked seamlessly around the airport, checking out every store Olivia wanted to.
They went to a little gift shop where Olivia purchased way too much candy and then begged Fitz to get her this huge teddy bear that she absolutely had to have. And of course, as soon as she started pouting in that cute way of hers, Fitz pulled out his wallet and purchased the stuffed bear for her.
Happy with their purchase, they were currently walking the halls of the airport hand in hand. Olivia cuddled up with the big teddy bear, completely enamored, while Fitz continued stealing sweets from her candy bag. Everything was great. Wonderful even. But it only took a second for it all to be ruined when Olivia got a phone call.
Frozen on the spot, she placed a hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh my God!" She said to the person at the other end of the line. "Is he gonna be okay?" At that, Fitz's eyes grew impatient. Was somebody in her family injured? A friend perhaps? The look on her face was starting to worry him. He didn't like being out of the loop.
"What's going on?" He mouthed with raised eyebrows.
Instead of answering him, Olivia closed the distance between them and buried her face in his chest - the teddy bear squished in the middle. Now more than ever, Fitz was more worried and he had reasons to be because in a few words, all the hype, and excitement over their trip crumbled and disappointment settled as their trip to Spain fell apart with: "Okay. I'm on my way."
…
Now, picture this…
"Thank you, Dr. Burtnett."
In his white coat, Dr. Burtnett gave a curt nod to a dejected Olivia before he dismissed himself in a professional manner. Now perched up against the pasty, white walls at St. Luke's Memorial Hospital, Olivia looked nearly ready to burst into tears as she stared at Fitz across from her.
"Anything I can do?" Fitz asked.
Definitely, the tears were brimming behind Olivia's eyes. She ruined their trip and she couldn't understand why Fitz wasn't flipping out on her at the moment. She didn't understand why he didn't listen to her and board the plane to Spain without her like she told him to. Instead, here he was in this stupid hospital with her. She didn't understand how he could still be so supportive.
"Oh come on, Fireball. Don't do this to me." In seconds, Fitz was in front of her, gathering her up in his arms as sad, angry tears flow down her cheeks. Fitz wiped them away as best he could before cupping her cheeks in his big hands and kissing her forehead comfortingly. "It's okay, sweetheart. I promise." He said reassuringly.
Olivia shook her head stubbornly. "It's not okay though!" She cried. "We were supposed to be on a plane right now. Not in the hospital, hoping that my stupid ex-boyfriend doesn't die at any given minute." Pissed off didn't even begin to describe what Olivia was. She wasn't crying because Edison was hurt and in the hospital. That fact, she was pretty immune to it. She was crying because of how upset she felt for dropping everything; for dropping an expensive trip Spain with her bestest friend to be by the bedside of a man who's treated her like garbage in his hour of need, all because he was stupid enough to get behind the wheels of a car while drunk. Thankfully, no other civilians got hurt as a result to that idiot's recklessness.
"What does it make me that I ruined our trip to be here for him after all that he's done?" Olivia voiced her inner turmoil out loud.
For the life of her, Olivia really couldn't understand why she was here and that angered her even more than anything. After the restraining order Olivia thought she wrote Edison Davis off for good. She thought that she would never have to deal with that sad son of a bitch ever again and yet here she was, in spite of herself, saving him. How twisted can this world get?
Fitz's voice brought her back from her thoughts. His thumb grazed her cheek in a feather light touch as he smiled at her. "That's who you are, Fireball." He told her matter-of-factly. "When someone needs your help, it doesn't matter what they've done to wrong you in the past - you show up for them and do for them what you can anyways." He beamed at her as he said this last part, "It takes impeccable strength to be that kind of person. In my honest opinion, I think that may be the most beautiful part of you." - It's one of the million reasons why I love you - Fitz wanted to add but he didn't dare. This moment was in no way about him. And he bounced back from his thoughts fairly quickly before continuing. "For now, let's just put Spain on the backburner and focus on you." He suggested. "Tell me what you need. Tell me what I can do to help."
Olivia looked at this wonderful man before her in awe and she can't help but shake her head at how unreal he seemed. Puffing out a sigh, she leaned further into his warm, comforting hands and tried to clear her mind. Olivia couldn't ask anything of Fitz and even if she could, there's nothing that he could do about Edison's condition. Though he will be monitored closely throughout the night for unexpected seizures or internal bleeding, the doctor said more than anything his body just needed some time to rest and recover from the trauma. The final verdict was that he would most likely wake up soon. Aside from a few cuts and bruises on his face from the shards of glass from the accident, Edison also suffered a broken leg, three cracked ribs and a severe concussion. He was pretty much bound to be in an extreme amount of pain for the few coming weeks. Eventually, he will be fine but there was nothing she or Fitz could do for him other than wait for him to pull through the night.
He was asking how he could help and Olivia could only think of one thing that would help her feel less upset about missing their trip. "Ridiculous as it's gonna sound?" Olivia prompted.
Fitz nodded. "Anything at all, Fireball." He replied.
Entwining their fingers together, Olivia looked into his beautiful shade of cornflower blue eyes and smiled. She didn't know why, but something about looking into his eyes brought her this great sense of peace. It was something Olivia learned after spending their third night together. She could always count on him to make her feel better. All she ever has to do is look into his eyes. And right now wasn't any different.
"Just stand here with me for one minute?" She requested almost shyly. "For just one minute… let's pretend that we're already in Spain, sipping on those sangrias and having a good time like we had planned. Let's pretend that we're on our own little land of paradise instead of here in this stupid hospital."
They both chuckled at the last part. An unruly curl fell on Olivia's eyes and they both reached to push it back at the same time. They smiled at each other, realizing just how in sync they were. It should be scary but instead, it felt like what was normal. It felt natural. With both of their hands entwined between them, Fitz placed his forehead against Olivia's and smiled sweetly.
"One minute, Fireball." He agreed in a soft whisper.
That one minute through his eyes felt like a lifetime. It was the best minute of Olivia's life.
…
Around ten o'clock, Olivia forced Fitz to leave. Even though he wanted to stick around and be with her for however long it took for Edison to wake up, there was no way Olivia was going to agree to that. Neither had any allegiance to Edison. As someone who once was in a relationship with him, Olivia was here out of pity more than anything else.
"Call me if you need anything." Fitz said as Olivia walked him down to the lobby.
Olivia nodded. "I promise." She smiled. "Text me when you get home. And you better not watch the newest episode of Viking without me!"
"I'll try not to, Fireball." Fitz chuckled. And with a kiss to her cheek, he hopped into the back of an Uber to take him home.
After his departure, Olivia stood on the sidewalk hugging herself as the cool night breeze blew through her hair. She didn't know why she missed him so much already. It hasn't even been minutes yet.
A few minutes passed before Olivia returned back inside the hospital. Instead of going straight to Edison's room, she opted to sit in the cafeteria and grab a snack from the vending machines. As she snacked on Oreo cookies and water, she got to thinking. Since she was still Edison's primary emergency contact, she doubted that his mother was contacted by the hospital. That was a call Olivia was dreading to make herself since she got the news that he was admitted to the medical facility. For five minutes, Olivia stared at her screen with the number staring back at her as she continued to munch down on cookies. She browsed JustFab for a new pair of shoes she didn't need; she played candy crush until she became annoyed with herself. She did just about anything to further delay the inevitable. God knows she didn't plan on pulling no "Diary of a Black Mad Woman" and nurse Edison back to health. She was very gracious, alright but not enough to put up with Edison's ass ever again. That train of thought was all it took for her to go back to her contact list and make the phone call she's been putting off. The phone rang twice in her ear, then soon enough, Elaine Davis's annoyed and sleepy voice was booming through her speakers.
…
After the dreadful phone call with Edison's mom, Olivia was riding the elevator back to Edison's room when her phone beeped with an incoming text message.
From Ace:
Got home safe, pretty girl!
That was enough to put a smile on Olivia's face again. Another text came through just as she was about to reply to the first one.
A: How are you holding up?
The elevator doors opened and Olivia almost bumped into a nurse because her face was buried in the screen of her phone and her fingers were busy typing away.
F: I'm doing fine. Stop being such a worrywart!
Seconds later, the phone vibrated in her hand again.
A: Stop being such a dork! I'm pretty sure no one has used the word "worrywart" in like a million years.
F: OH BE QUIET!
To that, he sent her a smiling emoji. Olivia felt compelled to tell him about her cringe worthy conversation with Elaine. So she did.
A: Yikes. How'd that go?
A: On second thought, give me 20 minutes and then we can FaceTime. Sound good?
Olivia smiled widely; excited about the prospect of seeing his handsome face again before the night ended.
She sent back a quick response filled with sass.
F: I'M WAITING!
Finally, Olivia entered Edison's room again and quite like the first time she saw his face when she had arrived at the hospital, her face crunched up in a grimace and a shiver ran down her spine. His face was all swollen and bruised up. He had a few of those butterfly Band-Aids all over. His broken leg was propped up high on the bed so that he was as comfortable as possible with the cast on. She can't imagine his lower chest looked or felt any better. He looked like he was in a lot of pain and even though she tried really hard not to feel bad for him, Olivia truly and genuinely pitied him.
She decided to pull the single recliner near the window next to his bed, more so she could have a view of the TV than to actually keep an eye on him.
Twenty minutes later as promised, Fitz was calling her on FaceTime. She accepted the call after searching in her handbag for a pair of headphones. She smiled when his handsome face appeared on her screen. He looked fresh out of the shower and his hair was a hot mess of chocolate curls that made him look more attractive than ever.
He raised a glass in front of the screen to show her and Olivia's eyes widened.
"Is that a sangria?" She asked.
Fitz shook his head. "Close." He said. "It's a fangria."
Olivia let out a chuckle with raised eyebrows. "What the hell is a fangria?" She inquired curiously.
"It's a fake sangria." Fitz replied and Olivia burst into a fit of laughter so loud, that for a second, she worried that she might've awaken Edison.
Grinning, Fitz continued. "I know this is not Spain or even a real sangria but this is New York and it's a great city. It's also home so that kind of makes it special on its own, right?"
He was such a sweet man. Olivia nearly melted in her seat. She couldn't help the fact that she found him extremely adorable at that exact moment. Smiling, she pointed towards the glass he still held in his hand. "Take a sip for me." She requested.
Fitz did so humming in the sexiest way and Olivia found that the sound made certain parts of her anatomy tingle. Also another thing she was choosing to ignore when it came to his effects on her.
"What's in that thing anyways?" She asked.
"Cranberry juice and seltzer."
"Ew!" Olivia cringed.
Rolling his eyes, Fitz stuck his tongue out to her. "You're ew." He bit back.
Olivia found herself wondering how she was best friends with such a man-child. A sexy one at that. Her eyes widened at the thought but once again, she was choosing to brush it off as nothing. It was better than trying to delve into why she was suddenly thinking of her best friend in that way.
Even though it was just a second, Fitz could tell by the expression on Olivia's face that she had retreated to some pensive place in her mind. Though he didn't know what exactly she was thinking about, he made a guess that it might be about her phone call to Edison's mom. After all, that's what he called to discuss with her. So he decided to ask. "What did Edison's mom have to say when you called?"
Olivia groaned the whole time as she recapped the full ten minutes conversation to Fitz. She was just glad that come dawn, she didn't have to see either Edison or his wicked witch mother ever again for the rest of her life.
For the next hour, they talked about everything and nothing. Laughing until the muscles of their stomachs ached and they became breathless as they swapped funny stories. They got to talking about the coming school year and whether or not Olivia was excited about it. Fitz informed her that he put a few plans in motion to see if he could get started on the opening of that club that he dreams of owning one day. Olivia promised to help him however she can. Even after the quiet settled, they still didn't want to leave each other; preferring to hear the sound of each other breathe better instead of going back to the loneliness of their separate housing. So they stayed over the line; on the same channel at their respective locations, they watched a few rerun episodes of Criminal Minds together. Fitz was a fan. Before they knew it, the clock was set at two o'clock in the morning and they were both yawning, beat up from exhaustion of the day. It had been a very long day. Although it didn't end exactly how they both would've preferred, but at the end of it, they still had each other. So that was something to be immensely grateful about.
Olivia didn't know what it was that made her emotional all of the sudden. Maybe it was the exhaustion and her sleepiness but she found herself looking at Fitz through the widescreen of her phone with a certain glow in her eyes. It dawned on her then just how lucky she was to have him in her life. She didn't know many people she would willingly stay on the phone with for this long. Not only that, but she also didn't have many people in her life who cared this much for her; not like Fitz did anyways. He knows she has a great dislike for hospitals from what she's told him.
Before her Nana died, she was slowly chipping away in a hospital bed, not getting any better and begging to go home and die in peace surrounded by her family. It's the most painful memory Olivia has to this day. After having had enough; Olivia decided she wasn't going to watch her grandmother suffer any longer and made the conscious decision to get her Nana out of the hospital herself. She skipped school one day and came to visit. On the pretense of taking her Nana for a walk to get some air, she had wheeled the aging woman out of the hospital and never returned with her. Though she nearly gave her whole entire family a strings of heart attacks, that day was also one of Olivia's best days. She got to enjoy her grandmother wholly for a full day. She got to see her Nana look alive and feel alive for a wonderful, sunny day in the spring before she passed away exactly three months later; in her home, surrounded by her family and friends and those whose lives she continued to impact beyond her grave. It was exactly how she wanted it to be. But even so, it was the first time Olivia Pope truly experienced heartbreak. She was just nineteen years old.
She told Fitz this story once after they got drunk together. He had driven them to his favorite place in all of New York City. A secluded roof top on the hills - where they had opened a blanket and stared at the sky. It felt like so long ago since they shared that moment and most people would've forgotten that conversation considering they were under the influence. But not him. He retained it to memory. He was a great listener and an even better human being.
Olivia Pope would never willingly stay on the phone with anyone for more than an hour but luckily for her, she had an amazing best friend who cared for her beyond any level of comprehension. He knows about her fear and hate of hospitals so instead of doing anything else literally remotely more productive, he stayed on the phone with her, just to make sure she was alright. Just to make sure that the unfortunate memories of her late grandmother didn't haunt her for the night. Olivia didn't know many people who would do such a thing for her. So she was emotional, she was exhausted but above all, she was grateful.
She yawned - another symptom of her fatigue. Nevertheless, she fought to stay awake. "Thank you." She smiled sweetly and sleepily.
Blinking, Fitz ran his fingers through his messy chocolate curls. "For what?" He asked.
For what?
Olivia mulled the simple question on repeat in her head and she came up with a million reasons why she should've been thanking him. This summer should've been so miserable for her but seemingly out of nowhere, he came walking into her life, shinning this blinding light. And since then, she's known nothing but unquestionable happiness. He's made her laugh and smile more times than she can ever count. He's seen her at her worse and that's never made him budge even an inch. He's seen her cry countless times and yet again instead of fleeing like most probably would, he stayed and wiped the tears away. He's proven to be one of the most trust worthy person she knows to life. And he always shows up. So, for what, he asked. There weren't nearly enough words in the English language to explain to him "for what" but "everything" would have to do his question justice.
"For being you." Olivia finally replied.
Even as tired as he was, she watched his face stretch into the most beautiful smile. He looked like a little boy on Christmas morning being told that all his wishes have come true. Then he simply shrugged, very much in a boyish way and responded. "I don't really know how to be anybody else, Fireball."
And the funny thing was, that's exactly what Olivia knew he would say. He doesn't need to be praised. Anything Fitzgerald Grant does, it's out of the pure goodness of his golden heart; no strings attached.
Smiling back at him, Olivia said, "We should both try and get some sleep."
Of course, Fitz agreed. "Call me later?"
Olivia promised. "Okay."
"Okay."
…
…
…
This was the part where they hung up but still, they remained on the phone, breathing in sync until the very last second when their bodies gave out and succumbed to the exhaustion.
"Goodnight, Livvie." Fitz murmured seconds before he knocked out.
Eyes closed, a smile on her lips, "Goodnight, Fitz." Olivia replied.
As if on cue, Olivia's phone powered off as soon as they bid each other goodnight. Now cuddled up against the big, fluffy teddy bear that Fitz had gotten her, Olivia settled on the couch for some much needed shut eye.
888
Morning came much too soon.
After only a few hours of sleep on the fairly comfortable couch, Olivia stirred awake by the comings and goings of the morning shift nurses.
Stretching her limbs as far as she could, she then sat up on the couch and pushed her hair out of her face. "How's he doing?"
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" The young nurse screeched, her hand flying to her chest in pure surprise. It was really funny so Olivia couldn't exactly help the small smile that creased the corners of her mouth. She apologized for scaring the nurse and in return, the young woman did the same for waking her up.
"Everything looks good." The nurse then went on to inform Olivia. "He's stabilized and normal. He made it through the night just fine so in my professional assessment, I think he should make a good recovery." She spoke softly. "Dr. Burtnett will be in at eleven o'clock. He might authorize to run a few scans just to be sure everything is as seems but I wouldn't worry too much."
Olivia was a lot of things at the moment. For example: Underslept, starving, still pretty damn pissed about missing Spain, in need of a long; hot shower, a nice cup of piping hot tea and the comfort of her bed. Those are just to name a few. But worried about Edison Davis - that she was not.
She chanced a glance at Edison's beat up face and that cold shiver ran down her spine again. He was truly a sight for sore eyes. Thanking the nurse with a curt nod, Olivia then decided to get off the couch and ducked to the adjoining bathroom to freshen up.
When she came back out, the nurse was gone. Olivia decided to open the blinds a little to let some sunlight in. She hated how quiet it was. And even with the blaring arrays of sunlight in the room, she hated how it still felt lifeless. In that moment, she wished to hear Fitz's voice again. He was full of life. But she was mindful that they both went to bed pretty late and just because she was already awake unfortunately didn't mean he had to miss out on his much needed eight hours.
Not knowing what to do with herself, Olivia checked her watch. It was almost nine o'clock. She wanted to step out of the hospital for a bit and go grab that cup of hot tea she so desperately yearned for. There was a nice little diner three block away from the hospital and she figured if she wasn't going to get enough sleep today, the least she could do was treat herself to a nice breakfast. All too eagerly, she begin to exit the room when she heard the sound of his gravelly voice.
"You came."
He sounded rough and though he spoke barely above a whisper, it was enough to scare the crap out of Olivia. She whipped her head and saw that he was trying to sit up even though he clearly couldn't. She looked at his monitor and saw his BP rising a little bit. A good person would've ran to his side instantly to offer some assistance. A good person would've filled a cup with some water and popped a straw in it for him to sip, in order to help him better his voice. A good person would've gotten a nurse to come to his aid as soon as he awoke. But gracious didn't necessarily mean good.
Olivia didn't even make a move to approach him. She didn't trust him and she had all the reasons in the world not to.
"You have three broken ribs, a broken leg and a severe concussion." She informed him of his prognosis with no hint of sympathy in her voice.
But for some reason unknown to Olivia, he was smiling.
"Is that what the doctors said?" He asked.
"Yes. So stop hurting yourself because you're trying to impress me." She said sharply. Olivia also wanted to add - I stopped being impressed by you a long time ago. But she figured it was still a bit too early for pettiness.
Nodding, Edison simply continued to stare at her until it became a little uncomfortable and a lot awkward.
"I'm sorry." He finally said.
Olivia who had been looking at her feet and effectively zoning him out thought she had heard him wrong. Looking up, she raised her eyebrows at him in question. "What?"
Clearing his voice in hopes of being better heard, Edison repeated. "I said I'm sorry." He waited for a reaction from Olivia but none came. Instead, he got a brush off.
"Let's not do this Edison." Olivia shook her head. He was doped up on morphine and to be completely honest, Olivia didn't want to have to feel any sympathy for him. Sooner or later, something was bound to happen to him with the way he always reeked of booze. So a shitty apology was not what Olivia was looking for. What she wanted was to not be here. What she wanted was to already be in Spain with Fitz. But alas, she wasn't. Instead, she spent hours in this fucking hospital for him; precious hours she will never get back. She didn't want no damn apology! So before he could continue, she decided to cut him off and nip whatever manipulation trick he was trying to pull in the bud. "I called your mom late last night. She should be here any minute. I'll stay until she gets here but this… whatever this is that you're trying to pull, we're not gonna do it."
It's like nothing she said to him registered because he then added; "You must really hate me." He sounded hurt. Though Olivia couldn't really distinguish whether or not that was real. She's come to believe that nothing about this man is ever genuine. He's a manipulative son of a cunt. "You can't even stand to look at me; to see the sight of me. So, I'm saying "I'm sorry" for whatever really terrible thing I've done to you."
Olivia couldn't believe her ears. She blinked several times to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating from lack of sleep. But she wasn't. This was real. "For whatever really terrible thing you've done to me?" She repeated. Suddenly, a bout of hysterical laughter escaped Olivia's mouth and she had to grip the wall behind her for support. "Have you lost your mind? Did you hit your head harder than they thought?" Those were the only reasonable explanation Olivia could come up with. Because how can one person be so damn egotistical?
"I forgive you, Liv." Edison continued.
As soon as those words escaped his mouth, Olivia knew that she needed to get the fuck away from him. She needed to get as far away from this hospital and she needed to do so as quickly as humanly possible. All thoughts of a healthy breakfast forgotten, Olivia walked towards the single couch she slept on the previous night to gather her belongings. Then, she went to the small closet in the room to wheel out her suitcase.
"We're done here." She mumbled, not even bothering to acknowledge him any longer.
That only frustrated him more. Being ignored was not something Edison Davis liked. He was a man and goddamn it, he will have his way because God forbid he didn't!
"Cut the shit, Liv!" He exclaimed, loud enough to make Olivia jump. He was frustrated to no end. And being bound to this goddamn hospital bed didn't help his case much. He was going to watch his last ditch effort to get her back go to waste and he would have none of it. He threw his working arm up in resignation and he felt the pain all the way down to the last fiber of his every being. But he pushed through the pain anyways. "Aren't you tired of this charade?" He asked. "I mean goddamn it, Liv! Why can't you see that I love you? Why can't you see that everything I do, I do it for you?!"
Stuffing her toiletries back in her suitcase, Olivia chuckled humorlessly. "How gracious of you." She said sarcastically. She couldn't get out of that room fast enough.
"I forgive you for abandoning me like he did!" Edison blurted. His voiced cracked and Olivia didn't know what it was that made her look up at him but when she did, she saw that tears were pooling behind his eyes. "I'm exhausted Liv and I forgive you." Edison repeated. "I forgive you for the restraining order. I know you didn't mean those nasty, ill-mannered things you said to me the last time we saw each other. I forgive everything that's happened between us these last few months. Let's just write it off as a mistake and then you can come back to me. Where you belong."
A series of emotions ran through Olivia. Rage being the most powerful one and she just… snapped. "I DON'T BELONG TO YOU!" She screamed. "Snap out of it Edison. I'M NOT YOURS! I sure as hell am not your father either! I didn't abandon you and you need to stop. JUST… STOP!" At this point, Olivia was hyperventilating. She felt like she was being suffocated and she just couldn't! Oh my God. If she thought she'd chosen wrong before, the definition for what Edison Davis was just got a lot more complicated. He was beyond unhinged and now more than ever, Olivia felt like the stupidest woman to have ever walked the face of the earth.
She begin wheeling out her suitcase behind her. She got to the door and her hand was on the knob of the door when he said it. The words that shocked her and told her that Edison Davis was absolutely, one hundred percent fucking crazy.
"I knew you'd come." He said smugly. Here comes some more of the psychotic manipulation. "The same way that I know that you still love me despite what you say. And you're right, I do need help and with you, I can do it. Can't you see, Liv? I was betting - no… I was hoping you'd come. That was my sign and you did…"
At some point between all of his ramblings, Olivia zoned out again. The room was spinning with her and four words continued to run on a loop in her mind. I knew you'd come. He knew. It was his sign. And then it all hit her like a ton of bricks. He did this to himself on purpose.
She's his primary emergency contact so if something were to happen to him - like a car accident in which he sustained a severe concussion, three broken ribs and a broken leg - of course she would be immediately notified. He did this to himself purposely and gambled on her showing up for him and like the idiot that she is, she did.
Rage. So much rage. Olivia was visibly shaking on the spot. Turning her head to look at him on the bed, she could feel tears starting to gather behind her eyes. She was bubbling with so much rage, so much anger, so when she spoke to him, she barely recognized her own voice. "What did you do?" She asked, eyeing him like a monster. "What the fuck did you do?!" She exclaimed. Feeling completely disoriented, Olivia blinked back her tears and smoothed her fingers through her hair. "You're fucking mental." She concluded.
And just when she thought that this damn morning couldn't get any worse, in walked Elaine Davis.
…
The arrogant woman didn't even acknowledge her existence. As soon as she walked in the room, the elder woman dropped her luggage dramatically on the floor and ran to her son's bedside.
"My baby!" Elaine cried, touching and kissing Edison's face all over. "Oh look at you, honey! You look so finished." Grabbing Edison's sling-free arm, she felt his wrist. She could feel his bones beneath her fingers. Apparently that's what it took for her to finally acknowledge Olivia's presence. The woman gave Olivia a glance from head to toe with a look equivalent to disgust in her eyes.
In the past, that look used to kill Olivia on the inside. It used to make her feel like the absolute shit of the earth because obviously, she was seeking approval. She was naïve, insecure and she wanted mommy dearest of Edison Davis' to think she was enough. To like her. But now, today, as that look was once again begin directed at her for the absolute last time ever, Olivia felt nothing. She's had about e-fucking-nough! In the past, she would cower, shrink to a smaller version of herself in the name of respect but not anymore. Today, she too held the same look of disgust and shame for the woman who raised this sick son of a bitch whom she gave two precious years of her life to. She was going toe-to-toe with Elaine Davis if it's the last thing she did.
Then she had the guts, the fucking audacity to open her mouth and address Olivia. "Have you not been taking care of my son, Olivia?"
That was the final straw. Olivia grabbed her suitcase and wheeled it out the door with her. Her steps gradually increased when she heard the clicking sound of heels following after her.
"HAVE SOME RESPECT!" Elaine shouted after her down the vacant hallway. Olivia was too fast for her. And she was old. Fuck, she was grown and she will not chase after some girl who clearly was no good for her dearest son. "I'm trying to talk to you about my child so YOU WILL stop and HEAR me!"
And Olivia did stop. A decision she very much would regret minutes later.
Shaking her head, Olivia faced an approaching Elaine who wore a look of disdain and judgement for her. "You Davis people are fucking something else." She said.
Frowning at her crass language - which in her mighty opinion was unbecoming of a woman - Elaine scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she stood tall in front of Olivia. "I could say the same about you." She said. "Everyone knows that the place of a woman is next to her man in his time of need. My child is in there in pain and yet, you have your suitcase rolling after you. You're leaving my child behind for dead."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Your child is not a baby and I'm not leaving him for dead. I'm leaving, period." She said. "He's not my responsibility! I was here as a courtesy and now that you are here, I see no reason to stay longer than necessary."
The sheer horror that crossed Elaine's face was comical at best. Her eyebrows kissed in a frown and her lips was set in a tight disapproving line. "I know Eddie said that you were having some problems but I didn't think it was that bad that you would leave him on his sick bed."
It was in that instant that another truth settled for Olivia and she found herself crossing her arms over her chest much like Elaine as a smirk played on her lips. "He didn't tell you, did he?" She gloated. Oh this was good! This was glorious. Maybe this morning won't end on such a shitty note after all. Elaine Davis was about to learn some very hard, bitter truth about her son today. Elaine Davis was about to learn that her dearest son didn't amount to dog shit!
"Let me tell you a little something about your "baby dearest"," Olivia begin. "Your son ain't shit!" She blurted and to have those words leave her mouth and released into the air that Elaine Davis breathed was the greatest thing Olivia's ever done. The contentment that came with saying those words lifted such a laden on her shoulders and it set her tongue loose to speak all the words she's dreamed of ever saying to that nasty, judgmental, bitter, egotistical woman! "Your son is a cheating piece of shit." Olivia added. "Wait… no. Actually, he's a manipulating, psychopathic, cheating piece of garbage. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go back to living my life."
"How dare you speak about my son in this manner?!" Elaine barked. "I know every couple has their differences. Hell, it's in every man's nature to step out of a committed relationship and stray every once in a while but that doesn't mean that you leave." She spoke so seriously that Olivia couldn't even fool herself into thinking that this woman was joking for even a second. "You oughta learn how to compromise. My son loves you! If you'd done your job how you were supposed to, he would've put a ring on your finger long ago despite what I would've said."
Oh my God.
Olivia was feeling so much. Shocked, appalled, disgusted, sorry for that excuse of a woman standing before her. Her jaw just about hung to the floor as she continued to stare at Elaine Davis blankly. Then the words settled and Olivia can't help the laughter that boomed out of her chest. This woman before her was a goddamn joke! Now Olivia understood Elaine better. Olivia got where Elaine's deep sense of hatred and disgust came from because Olivia imagined when Elaine looked at her, Elaine saw that she was nothing like her and had no desire to ever be anything like her. Some washed up, wanna-be stepford-wife.
"What's so funny?" Elaine asked confrontingly.
"Compromise?" Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Is that what you did for Edson all these years? No matter what he did, you just compromised, right? You opened your legs a little wider and gave away the most important bits and pieces of your soul? But except, at the end of the day, that wasn't enough for him was it?" Olivia was ripping the woman an entirely new asshole with each words that escaped her mouth and it was heavenly. Olivia knew of the weight that those words held and how they impacted the older woman. Still that wasn't enough to stop her. She was on a roll and Elaine was visibly shook and popping a vein. "I don't know what era you think it is, but this is the fucking twenty-first century, lady. Get real with your compromising bullshit!" Olivia raised her voice. "Clearly, it didn't work out so well for you but you know what? It's okay. Because now, I understand you better. I understand why you're so goddamn bitter all the time. You compromised and yet, Edson still chose booze over you and your crazy freaking son!"
The next thing that happened was straight out of a soap opera. The climactic music was in the background, the anger was radiating in mist and the devil literally appeared, pulled a chair and sat the fuck down for the showdown. Elaine had enough. Her heart has never thumped faster or harder than it was in that instant. Her eyes were never redder or wider. Her blood pressure never so high. Her feelings never more hurt. And she snapped!
Olivia expected some sort of back-lash, of course. She expected to be called every dirty name in the history of the universe. She expected to be just as disrespected as she was disrespecting Elaine to her face. But when she felt that sting across her cheek… when the sound of those five fingers laying across her cheeks echoed to her ears, she found herself in a period of temporary disbelief as she tasted the blood in her mouth.
"You spiteful little bitch!" Elaine exclaimed, her voice clouded with raw, painful emotions. "How dare you!"
The previously vacant hallway then started to fill up as curiosity got the better of a few nosey nurses and interns.
Bringing a hand to her flaming face, Olivia rubbed the reddening spot in a soothing manner as she sucked in her teeth. Looking up at the woman who dared to lay her hands on her, Olivia slowly begin closing into her space, effectively causing Elaine to push back into a wall. Now framed between her and the wall, Olivia looked into the older woman's wide brown eyes and begin speaking very slowly. "Your son came into my life and played with my heart like it was some sort of game. I gave him two fucking years of my life and all I have to show for it is the worst kind of betrayal and disrespect. And oh, as if that wasn't unforgiveable enough, after I made the good and conscious decision to walk away and leave his sorry ass, your son came into my home - my parent's home uninvited and physically assaulted me." At that, Olivia saw Elaine's eyes pop out like saucers. This truly shocked her. Good! "I have been cheated on, disrespected, assaulted, terrorized and stalked - all by your son, so EXCUSE THE FUCK out of me if I don't buy into your compromising bullshit. Excuse me, your Highness if I don't buy you telling me to degrade my self-respect and dignity like you did for a fucking ring on my finger." Shifting on one foot to the next, Olivia leaned closer to make certain that the next part of her century read-of-filth was audible to hearing. "Now, this spiteful bitch right here is the bitch that's not gonna slap you with a law suit that will leave you bankrupt beyond your rotten grave. This spiteful bitch right here is the bitch that's gonna take the highroad with you today because honestly, you and your son have thoroughly drained me of all my energy with all of your shit." She added. "So out of respect for my own mother, I'm not gonna turn this hospital into a bloodbath by familiarizing your face with every single wall in this facility. But if you ever lose your goddamned mind again and touch a hair on my head: I promise you - truly, really, honestly - I. Will. Fucking. Bury. You. Mark my words, lady."
At that, Olivia stepped away from the woman's personal space, not wanting to even be breathing the same air as her any longer. Elaine - at this point - was visibly shaking and she was pretty sure that her blood pressure was spiking at an all time high. She just might have to get admitted to the hospital also right next to her son. In all of her sixty odd years of life, she has never felt more disrespected. More shamed. More shook.
Elaine watched Olivia walk away and call for the elevator. Before she stepped into the lift, Olivia told her one last thing that sent her to her knees, gripping for a wall in support. And she wept for the first time since her husband abandoned her and their child. Edison needed fixing. And perhaps, so did she.
888
Olivia couldn't believe the last sixty minutes of her life. She has never had the urge to smoke, drink and beat the hell out of something all at the same damn time. As soon as she stepped outside the walls of St. Luke's Memorial Hospital, she hopped into a cab straight to Abby's. She didn't trust herself to be alone at her apartment. She would only break things and though that might provide her some satisfaction for a short time, she wasn't too interested in the clean up that would have to follow afterwards. So, therefore, Abby's place was her best resort. Coincidentally, Thursdays happen to be the day Abby doesn't open the Parlor. And it was barely noon so there's a chance that she might still be home, in bed.
When Olivia got to Abby's apartment building, she placed a phone call to the redhead.
"If you're calling to rob Spain in my face, you're wasting your billable minutes, dear." Abby answered, her voice laced with sleep.
"I'm downstairs. Buzz me up." Olivia simply said.
There was a pause over the line before Abby registered what she said. How is Olivia Pope in her apartment building when she's supposed to be far away, on Spanish soil with a hot specimen of a man that goes by the name of Fitzgerald Grant?
"Wait… what?!" Abby exclaimed, jumping out of bed with a start. "What the fuck?"
"Buzz me up, Abby!" Olivia said impatiently.
In less than two minutes, Olivia was being pulled into a hug by the redhead and even though she hasn't said anything yet to Abby, the redhead looked just as royally pissed off as Olivia was. And once again, without being told a word, Abby sat Olivia at her dining table while she went off in her kitchen to retrieve two shot glasses and a bottle of Hennessey. The redhead had the feeling that it was much needed. It was barely noon but somewhere around the world, it must already be 5 p.m.
Abby poured them each a shot then faced her best friend. "Tell me everything." She requested. "Who's the bitch I'm gonna have to throat punch?"
Over the next hour, Olivia recalled all the previous day and this morning's events to Abby. The redhead suggested that they go back to the hospital after dark and inject some deadly poison in Edison's serum and have a hitman light up Elaine's ass with bullets. Olivia had half a mind to agree but then she realized that one of them had to be level headed in all this. Besides, Olivia enjoyed fresh air and her freedom way entirely too much to risk it all on those mentally unstable people. But if it's the last thing she does on this earth, she will get her peace from them. One way or another - but it's gonna be in a proper manner.
"Does Fitz know yet?" Abby asked.
Olivia shook her head. "I came straight here." She replied. "And if I tell Fitz, he'll kill them."
"You make it sound like it's such a terrible idea." Abby scoffed.
"Abby come on." Olivia sighed.
She didn't want Fitz tangled in all this mess. This was her problem; her mess and she was a big girl. She could handle it. She didn't want to taint her precious ray of sunshine in this mess. So, Olivia was making a conscious decision to leave him out of it.
"I'm serious!" Abby cried.
"So am I." Olivia said.
"You have to tell him." Abby emphasized. "It's not just you that could be in danger, Liv. Edison has had all of us watched at some point and I know that you and Fitz have nothing going on beyond friendship but Edison doesn't know that." The redhead reasoned. "In his psycho, jumbo, crazy-for-coco-Liv mind, Edison probably thinks Fitz is giving you some kind of next level A1 dick. If for a second he thinks Fitz is the reason you're not coming back to him, I'm sorry to tell you, your boy might be next on Edison's list of shits."
Olivia's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "What the fuck, Abby?" She exclaimed. "You've been watching too many damn movies lately!"
Abby chuckled. She really has been watching a lot of movies - influenced by Stephen Finch but she was sort of also serious. She probably wasn't too far fetched in the theory she just laid down for Olivia. "Can you honestly tell me I'm wrong, though?" She asked Olivia. "The man purposely got into a nearly fatal car accident to get you to sympathize with him. What makes you think he's above anything else?"
Now that the seed was planted, it was starting to take root and Olivia went from totally chill, to instant pacing.
"Shit, shit, shit!" She would never forgive herself if something happened to Fitz because of her. Realistic or not, Olivia understood the danger that it posed if she doesn't at least warn Fitz about all of this madness. "I have to tell him." Olivia resigned.
Abby poured Olivia another shot of Hennessey. "Yes, you do." She nodded. "Bottoms up."
…
They ordered a big brunch from Whooper's Diner just a block away from Abby's apartment. They planned on getting shitfaced together for the day so it was only wise that they got some form of nutrition in their stomachs. An invitation was extended to Quinn via text message and soon the three women were making one hell of a party out of what started out to be such a shitty day. They spent all afternoon playing the Wii and taking turns painting each other's nails and toes.
"You should definitely still go to Spain." Quinn said as she added gel nail polish to Olivia's toes.
Shaking her head, Olivia blew out a breath. "I feel like it's all ruined." She said. "How am I supposed to have fun when all I can worry about is the safety of my friends?" She growled at Abby for planting that stupid seed in her head.
"Lucky for you, all your friends are grown and know how to defend themselves." Quinn said.
"Mhmmm." Abby interjected from the couch. She was laying upside down with her legs against the wall so that her toes can dry. "And I would welcome the chance to use my gun on his ass."
"Why do you have a gun?!" Quinn asked, totally petrified.
Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to give this particular redhead a registered gun? Do they not know how crazy she is?
"No guns, Abigail." Olivia said.
Abby shrugged. "Fine. You're no fun." She said. "So, you going to Spain or what?"
"I don't know." Olivia replied.
"I'll tell you the same thing you told me after Charles." Abby begin.
She didn't like to take the trip down that particularly memory lane but for her best friend in the entire world, she'd jump off a cliff so this was the least she could do.
"No jackass gets to dictate the direction in which your life goes… or even how you live it for that matter." Abby said. "You bought expensive ass tickets for Spain so do as you were going to and bring Fitz's fine, sexy ass with you. While you're over there, find yourself a hot Spanish man and screw his brains out in the back of his dad's 1970's convertible, slutty-style. Go have some fucking adventures, kid. Edison can go eat shit and die."
Olivia just stared at her best friend. Speechless.
… Okay then.
888
The rest of the day flew by. At some point, Olivia stopped sulking. And somewhere between all the drinking, all three of them ended up passed out on the floor of Abby's living room. Olivia was the first to wake up around seven thirty. She smiled at her sleeping friends. They made such a mess.
She cleaned up a bit before she decided to make use of Abby's huge shower. She could feel a headache coming despite her long nap. The only cure to it would be a shower, some delicious dinner and a lot of water to rehydrate.
Olivia took her time in the shower; soaking under the powerful sprays of the water. She was adamant on washing away all the negativity that this day entailed. By the time she got out of the shower, Abby and Quinn were awake, visibly regretting their decision of drinking so much.
"Shower helps." Olivia told them.
She was sort of glad that she had a suitcase with her. She slipped on some shorts and a t-shirt that undoubtedly belonged to Fitz. It was the shirt he'd given to her to sleep in the first night they met and obviously, she's kept it. The shirt had quickly become her favorite thing to sleep in ever since so it was no surprise that she had packed it to go to Spain. The material of the shirt was so soft and Olivia loved how snug it fit her even though it was twice her regular size.
She ordered Thai takeout while the other girls took turns in the shower. Soon enough, they were right back where they begin. On the floor of Abby's living room, each with a takeout container, munching on their favorite Thai dish. Somewhere between dinner, Cece called on Abby's phone. She mentioned that she's been trying to reach Olivia and got worried when the calls kept going to voicemail. That reminded Olivia to put her phone in charge.
Conversation about organizing a girl's night out, soon somehow turned into talks of guys. Between Cece's gushing about how incredible Harrison was in all aspects in her life and especially in bed, and Abby's very descriptive details of how amazing Stephen also was, Olivia realized just how… lonely she felt.
Prior to calling it quits with Edison, her sex life was pretty much non-existent. Real intimacy was always lacking between her and Edison so once she started suspecting him of cheating, there was no throes to be had between the sheets. She got checked to make sure she was clean and kept her legs closed until the day she flipped on him at that restaurant. Now months later, listening to her friends talk about their own sexual escapades, she realized how wanting she felt for affection. Not even sex. Olivia could go without sex because she didn't believe that sex was all that made a relationship. While it was great when it was a factor, she's the romantic type. She prefers lingering kisses; intimate touches in the middle of the night. A warm body to wrap herself around in comfort. She missed being touched in that sensual, delicate way that only a real man's hands can provide. But more than that, she missed being kissed with the passion of a thousand fires. Thinking about it was enough to make her extremely depressed.
She excused herself from her friends, although she didn't even think they'd notice her absence with them laughing so hard. Retrieving her phone from her bag, Olivia borrowed Abby's charger and disappeared to the balcony with her teddy bear for some fresh air.
The phone powered on once it got enough charge. A cacophony of notifications immediately popped on and Olivia was able to see that Fitz had tried to call her several times. After all attempts had obviously failed, he'd left her one text message. I hope everything's okay. Give me a call when you can. I miss you, gorgeous. It was sweet and simple. Yet, it made her heart beat so damn fast.
Olivia didn't even have to think about it. Her fingers clearly had a mind of their own because pretty soon, she was dialing him on FaceTime. It rang once before his beautiful, handsome face graced the wide screen of her phone. And for the first time since she woke up this morning, Olivia felt like she could finally breathe right again.
"… Hi." She said.
He smiled back, adoringly. "Hi."
888
When Olivia finally went back inside Abby's apartment, it was past midnight. Both Abby and Quinn were cuddled up under a blanket on the couch engrossed in an episode of The Simpsons. Abby smiled at her sleepily then patted the empty space to her left for Olivia to come join them. Olivia happily obliged. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to be surrounded by such great friends.
"So I take it Spain is happening?" Abby asked.
Laying her head on the redhead's high shoulder, Olivia took a deep breath and fixed her eyes on the TV. "Spain is happening." She replied.
Abby kissed her cheek and smiled. The redhead knew that Olivia would make the right choice.
…
The next morning, Abby was a monster. She had the kind of headache that felt like she was bitch-slapped by Satan himself. It didn't feel good. As soon as she stepped out of bed, she went straight for the medicine cabinet in her bathroom. She took two Tylenols all in one go before stepping in the shower.
Twenty minutes later, Abby stepped out of the shower, and padded straight to her fridge in the kitchen. It was the most depressing sight. She had nothing but Greek yogurt and cheese sticks for food. Just as she was about to give up on life altogether, her front door opened and in walked Olivia and Quinn carrying breakfast and trays of coffee from Starbucks.
She ran to them at the door and took the cup that marked her order on it. Flipping the cap off, she took a long sip of the warm beverage with long moans escaping her mouth.
Olivia laughed. "You're welcome." She teased.
The redhead enveloped her two best friends in a group hug while still trying to sip her coffee. Soon enough, they moved to the table in the living and had breakfast while watching rerun episodes of Charmed.
"So what time are you and Fitz supposed to go to Spain?" Abby asked.
Olivia bit into her cream-cheese covered sesame bagel. "I don't know. I was thinking of going on Friday but the more I think about it, the more I just wanna show up to his job and leave with him today."
"You think too much." Abby said. "Just do it."
Too soon, it was time for Abby and Quinn to leave for work.
888
Couple days later...
The past few days have been long for Fitz. He was more exhausted than he was letting on and if he was being entirely honest with himself, a tiny part of him was disappointed at not being currently in Spain. Although he would never share that little tidbit with Olivia. He can't remember the last time he made the conscious decision to take some time off to travel. And when he finally did, Edison fucking Davis had to intervene someway, somehow. He understood, shit happens but that didn't mean he didn't get to be disappointed.
It was rounding up to the four o'clock on Friday and he had just wrapped up an intense work out session with a client. To say that he was proud of the effort the young athlete had put into the session would be an understatement and it was on days like these that Fitz was proud of the business he ran.
As he was rounding the corner of his office with a towel around his neck, he bumped into Stephen.
"What?" Fitz asked.
Stephen wore a smirk on his lips as if he knew something Fitz didn't and indeed he did. "You got company." He said.
"What are you talking about?" Fitz took in his surroundings and saw no one in particular just sitting around and waiting for him. "Who?"
"Olivia." Stephen replied.
Although he tried not to, a smile immediately formed on Fitz's face. "And you didn't think to come get me sooner, asshole?"
"You were training someone, asshole." Stephen retorted. "Go ahead lover boy, she's in the office."
With a muttered "fuck you" under his breath, Fitz pushed passed a still smirking Stephen and opened the door to his office. Sitting behind his desk was his fireball, looking as beautiful as ever.
"This is a nice surprise." Fitz said with a smile.
"I missed you." Olivia admitted. "And I figured if I came to you and cut your day short, we just might make the seven-fifteen flight to Madrid."
Fitz's eyes widened instantly and he found that he couldn't stop smiling then even if he wanted to. "Are you serious?"
Nodding, Olivia finally stood up and begin to walk towards him. She really did miss him and she wanted nothing more than to hug him but he was a sweaty, sexy mess and she just couldn't. "So serious." She replied. "I wanna go away with you, Fitzgerald Grant. If you're still up for it, of course."
Then, the only thought running through Fitz's mind was: "I could so kiss you right now." But he settled for a goofy grin and a sweet kiss to Olivia's forehead when she was close enough. "Do I have time to hop in the shower?"
"Yeah." Olivia replied. "You didn't unpack, did you?"
"Nope." Fitz answered. "I guess a part of me was hoping you still wanted to go too."
"God, you're cute." Olivia teased and oddly enough, she thought that made him so freaking hot. Where that came from, she couldn't exactly say. And seeing him blush didn't help either. "We're right on schedule. I wanted to grab a late-lunch-early-dinner at our pizza place before we leave."
"Sounds good." Fitz agreed. Another kiss to Olivia's forehead, he was off to hit the showers. "I won't be long."
"I'll be here." Olivia promised.
…
Twenty-five minutes later he was back to the office, handsomely dressed and looking as beautiful as ever. Olivia couldn't help checking him out. He was a confident, and incredibly good looking man and he always dressed the part. That to her was really sexy.
"Finally." Olivia sighed impatiently as if she couldn't have waited another second. "Can I get a hug now that you're not a hot, sweaty mess?"
"Are you flirting with me, little lady?" Fitz teased.
Olivia rolled her eyes and played nonchalant but if she was hooked up to a machine: like a lie detector of some sort, she couldn't explain to you why her heart skipped a beat or better yet why she felt flushed.
"Don't flatter yourself cowboy." She responded and before she could go on a rant and defend her words, Fitz was pulling her into one of her favorite hugs. The kind she always melts into and felt safest in. It also didn't help that he smelled like heaven too.
Soon enough they were on their way out with Stephen yelling to them to bring him back a souvenir because he deserved it.
…
As per usual at Azzara's, they overindulged with delicious Italian dishes and pink lemonade to remain refreshed. As time was of the essence, they didn't stay long after their meal. And though they wished they could keep up with tradition and take a stroll throughout the city to explore, they had a much better alternative. Before they knew it, Fitz was parking The General in front of his apartment and opening the passenger's door for Olivia.
Arranging his apartment and making sure that everything was exactly how it should be didn't take long. And with his bags already packed, they were out on their way to the airport in no time in the back of an Uber. When the driver asked where they were heading, both Olivia and Fitz were more than happy to indulge the mid-forties man in conversation. Adrenaline ran high and their excitement bounced off each other. They held hands the whole ride as they discussed what they were both excited to see and do while over in Spain.
Once at the airport, they went through the same process they did as two days prior. Except this time, Olivia vowed to make it to Spain. Nothing was going to stop her. They each had a glass of wine to loosen up at the same burger joint they visited before and with no delays, it wasn't much longer before they were boarding their flight.
When the first class group were called, Olivia stood up along with a handful of other people.
"That's us." She said to Fitz.
"First class?" Fitz questioned, mouth hanging. He's never been on a plane before in his life. Not to his knowledge at least.
"Yeah." Olivia nodded nonchalantly. "I figured it was your first time so I wanted it to be memorable."
Before Fitz could say anything, Olivia was grabbing his hand and dragging him with her to get their tickets to the gate agent awaiting.
Fitz always thought the movies over exaggerated when it came to stuff like this. But upon stepping foot inside the plane, he realized just how fucking fancy everything truly was. And if he was being honest with himself, he was slightly geeking out a little bit on the inside. The seats were large, the air smelled pristine and everything from the leather flat bed seats to the carpet on the floor was top notch luxury.
And then it dawned on Fitz… this shit looks expensive so it must be so as well. And then way too soon his moment of George Clooney was over as he turned Olivia to face him.
"This must've cost you an arm and a leg, Livvie." He said. "It's too much."
"More like a kidney and half a liver." Olivia joked, chuckling. "It's perfect."
And even though Fitz was being serious, he couldn't help but smile at her teasing him. "I'm serious, Livvie."
Olivia shook her head. This was her world… and she felt awful for just thrusting Fitz into it. She had to remind herself that Fitz grew up very differently than she did and perhaps she should've consulted with him first about those seats even though she was trying to do a kind thing.
"Does it make you uncomfortable?" She asked. "I can talk to one of the stewardess and see if someone in economy can switch cabins with us." She was used to this stuff and after a whole lifetime of it, she could care less where she sat. She just wanted Fitz to feel comfortable. It was all that mattered to her at the moment.
"Yeah… I'm not that uncomfortable." A grin spread across Fitz's cheek as he wrapped Olivia in his arms. Pushing a strand of unruly curls behind her ears, he looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes with a hint of adoration in his eyes before placing a loud kiss on Olivia's cheek. "No more spending for you on this trip. I got the rest."
"Okay." Olivia smiled. She'll agree to just about anything if he keeps looking at her like this while holding her in his arms.
After putting their luggage in the overhead compartment, they took their luxurious seats next to each other. Olivia helped Fitz buckle up and soon after a routine guide video played on a flat screen TV in front of them, the pilot announced that they were ready for take off.
And it was then that Olivia begin to learn a lot more about Fitz. Like he was deathly terrified of the airplane take-off and perhaps window seat was a bad decision on her part for him. She held his hand the whole time and successfully got his mind off the take off until they were miles up in the air, safe and in the clear.
"You doing okay?" Olivia asked.
Bringing their entwined hands to his lips, Fitz kissed Olivia's knuckles affectionately. His fear now replaced with bliss and peace with Olivia fully wrapped in his arms. "I'm more than okay." He replied. And he was. As he glanced outside the window, he had the perfect view of the most beautiful sunset he's ever seen and next to him was the most beautiful and perfect human being he knows. He was more than okay. He was overwhelmed and bursting with joy. No more words were needed as Olivia rest her head against his chest and stared out the window with him too until the sky faded into black.
They spent the better half of the seven and a half hours flight in deep conversation and constant laughter. Fitz swapping more stories of his teenage mischief days and Olivia of her rebellious teenagehood. They sipped on expensive red wine and snacked on assortments of delicious cheeses, charcuterie and crackers while watching movies ranging from action, comedy and romance. Somewhere in between all that, they had a delicious meal of hot and sour mushroom soup, honey-curry glazed lamb with creamy potatoes and broccolini. Halfway through Fast and Furious 7, Fitz could barely keep his eyes open. It had everything to do with how full and exhausted and relaxed he was.
"You're so stubborn." Olivia chuckled as he yawned for the third time.
"Hi pot, it's me kettle." Fitz retorted.
"Touché." Olivia nodded. She brought her hand to Fitz's handsome face and dust off a curly eyelash from his cheek. "You should get some sleep." She advised.
"I'm okay. I wanna finish watching the movie with you. It was just getting good." Fitz argued.
Somehow, Olivia's hand had found their way through his thick, chocolate curls and she was absent-mindedly massaging his scalp and scratching it softly, effectively making Fitz's eyes grow heavier by each passing second.
"You have grandpa eyes." Olivia teased.
A small chuckle escaped Fitz. "Am I still handsome though?" He asked.
"Always." Olivia smiled. "Now will you get some sleep… please?"
"Okay fireball." Fitz agreed, placing a soft kiss on Olivia's forehead. He reclined his seat back and turned it into a full flat-bed. Olivia got the attention of one of the stewardess and requested for a blanket and two pillows. Once she received them, she did the same with her seat as Fitz did, switched off the overhead lights and settled comfortably next to him.
"Livvie…" Fitz whispered.
Facing him on her side, Olivia looked up at him. "Yeah?"
"I'm happy." Fitz said, smiling. Maybe it was the side of effect of too much wine and his exhaustion put together, but whatever it was, Fitz felt the need to tell this woman next to him the truth about exactly what he was feeling and how much she contributed to that feeling. So he did. "In this moment… right here, right now - I'm happy. You make me so happy."
Olivia's response was to scoot closer to him and use his chest as the most comfortable pillow that sadly, no amount of money could buy. Pretty soon they both dozed off, warmly and safely entwined together. Even their stewardess couldn't help but to smile at the beautiful picture they made when she walked down the aisles of the plane, checking on everyone.
It could've been minutes, maybe hours - Olivia wasn't sure but a small turbulence shook her awake. She glanced up at Fitz who was still knocked out and she gathered that he must really be exhausted. Never having had the luxury or courage to really stare at him, Olivia watched him as he slept, a peaceful look on his beautiful features. A stubborn chocolate curl hanging ever so perfectly against his forehead, making him look as adorable as he was handsome. Glancing down, Olivia realized they were still holding hands and though she long ago stopped wondering how it was possible for them to fit so perfectly together, the sight still took her breath away. And it dawned on her then… in this moment, right here… right now, on this plane, with this man… she too was the happiest she's ever been. But then again that's been a constant ever since she met him. Olivia knew that no matter what she would never let Fitz go.
… Except for when she really needed to go to the bathroom. Which she did, right now.
As soon as she let go of his hand and lifted her head from his chest, Fitz's eyes flew open and Olivia thought it was the funniest yet the most ridiculous thing ever. A shaky turbulence didn't do the trick but the weight of her massive curls lifting off his chest was just what was necessary. He was a cute, adorable and ridiculous man and she was flattered.
Rubbing his hands over his eyes in an almost childlike manner, he yawned. "Where are you going?" His sleep-ridden voice was as sexy as all sin.
"Bathroom." Olivia replied as she stood up. "Do you want anything?"
Fitz nodded, looking up at Olivia. "Water?"
"Okay." She smiled. He really did look adorable and Olivia couldn't resist the urge to lean down and kiss his forehead.
Five minutes later, Olivia returned with a fresh face and two bottles of water in hand. At the same time, the pilot's voice ringed through the speakers of the airplane, announcing their ETA to Madrid in less than an hour.
Gone was the remaining slumber in Fitz's eyes as excitement returned.
888
They touched down Madrid at 8 a.m. and as soon as they stepped foot on the Spaniard soil, everything felt different. The rush, the energy, the language, the people… it all came in a fastball that hit Fitz straight in the heart and he fell in love with the city instantly. His eyes worked quickly to take in his surroundings and everything was so beautiful, the streets so grand and the people so kind that he could hardly wait for to begin his journey of exploration. His ultimate shocker though, came when Olivia bust out her perfect Spanish to get them a taxi. He thought she could only piece a few words together. He didn't know that she could actually speak Spanish fluently and the knowledge that she did, made her all the more sexy to him. What could he say? He had a type. Olivia Pope.
"You've been holding out on me, Fireball." He teased while they rode in the back of the taxi.
"That was two years of Spanish at Princeton Private Academy, baby." Olivia informed. "Oh… I'm also fluent in French. We'll hit the South of France in December."
Fitz could only smile. "Italy in Spring. My treat."
"You're so on, Mr. Grant."
For their three day stay, they checked into The Gran Meliá Fénix - one of the best hotels in Central Madrid surrounded by all the hotspots.
Fitz was just as floored and impressed with their hotel room as he was by those luxurious seat on the plane. He didn't know how he was going to repay Olivia for all of this. She really was going above and beyond to make this the best vacation he's ever had and he was so grateful.
"I thought we agreed that I would pay for the rest of this vacation?" He said as he dropped their luggage on the floor.
Walking towards the fully stocked bar in their hotel room, Olivia popped open a bottle of champagne that had been chilling in a bucket of ice and then, she continued to the full fridge for a pitcher of passion fruit juice. It was as if she knew those things would be there waiting. She grabbed two tall champagne flute off a shelf and begin to mix the undoubtedly expensive champagne and passion fruit juice together. "Here." She handed one of the flutes to Fitz who took it without hesitation. She tested the mimosa and moaned at the impeccable taste.
"My friend Tristan Velez owns shares in this hotel. We're staying here free of charge." She told Fitz nonchalantly. "Cheers."