Prompt #61: "Let's get you inside by the fire, you are freezing."
Stoke the Fire
~oOo~
Driving across the city hadn't seemed like a terrible idea when Carisi asked her to check in with one of their victims. The trial was coming up, and she'd been shaky during trial prep. Now, stuck in what was turning into a blizzard, she was second-guessing many of her life choices.
When her Tahoe slid into a barrier in a parking lot, Olivia decided to give up for the moment. She was just glad Noah was at the McCann's for the weekend. She didn't have to worry about him home alone while she was stuck in a storm.
It was late in the evening. The streets were definitely becoming impassable. She didn't want to risk someone coming out to help her and winding up getting hurt in the process.
Checking her GPS, Olivia realized she was less than two blocks from Elliot's place. The snow hadn't let up at all. She didn't want to spend hours stuck in the Tahoe.
How bad could it be to walk?
The answer was incredibly bad. Halfway to Elliot's place, Olivia briefly considered knocking on a random door. She was freezing. The wind cut right through her despite the layers of clothing.
She couldn't feel her toes anymore. Or her face. Or anything, really. She continued trudging forward through the snow. It wasn't too much farther.
Olivia almost wanted to cry in relief when she finally spotted his place. She wasn't sure how much further she could go. Her hand throbbed when she banged on his door. "El? Please be there. I—"
Elliot finally yanked the door open, and she fell forward into his arms. "Liv? What the hell?"
"I broke down."
Elliot dragged her inside, making sure the door shut behind them. He wrapped his arms around her. "Let's get you inside by the heater, you're fucking freezing."
"You're so warm." Olivia wrapped her arms around him, soaking up the hit radiating from his body. He practically carried her over to the sofa. She found herself covered in blankets and sipping hot soup from a mug in no time at all. "Fuck."
Elliot sat beside her on the couch. He'd slipped his arm around her again and drawn her closer to him. She allowed herself to be held by him. It would've been glorious and romantic if she was still shivering a little. "We'll get you all warmed up, Liv. Where's Noah?"
"With the McCanns. He'll be fine." Olivia pulled the blankets more tightly around her.
Elliot took the empty mug out of her hand. "Why don't you see if you can get some rest? You'll warm up in no time. I'll wake you up if anything changes."
Resting her head against his shoulder, Olivia allowed her eyes to drift close. She didn't know if she'd be able to sleep, but it was worth a shot. It helped when Elliot began talking about his kids, telling her stories while she slowly drifted off.
His voice had helped her drift off to sleep but it was also what woke her up. Olivia kept her eyes shut. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep, but she at least no longer felt as though she were chilled to the bone.
"I love you so fucking much, Liv," Elliot whispered. She felt his lips move against her hair. "And every time I try to tell you, I can't seem to find the words. I gave you that compass because I wanted you to find happiness. But also, I just wanted to remind myself that you've always been home. Always. And I've spent all this time trying to be the man you deserve."
Olivia held her breath. She tried to keep from moving, not wanting him to realize she was awake. Not just. I love you too, El.
Elliot continued muttering his thoughts against her head. He occasionally punctuated a sentence by brushing a kiss on the top of her head. "You know, Liv, if you wanted to hear me bear my soul, you could've just told me. You don't need to pretend to sleep."
"I wasn't."
"Your whole body tensed. It was a bit of a giveaway."
"Just so you know." Olivia slowly sat up. She rested her hand on his thigh, using it to push herself up. "I love you too. And maybe we can finally get this right."
"Yeah?"
"Without you running into some undercover op to hide."
"Or you pretending to hunt for sugar in your own damn kitchen?" Elliot smirked when she elbowed him in the side. "Just saying."
"Maybe we can start with Christmas. Together. You, Noah, me and my family. All of us together." Elliot tightened his arms around her. "What do you think?"
"Sounds perfect."
The author of this SVU - Heart for the Holidays story will be revealed in January