Prompt #18: Stolen Christmas Kisses
Better Late Than Never
~oOo~
"They're here?"
This time, it came out more of a question than a statement. Elliot set the platter in his hand on the table and turned to the door. He hadn't expected another knock, not after Ayanna had been a disappointing surprise.
They weren't coming. Olivia clearly had reservations about him—about them. He would do everything he could to respect her boundaries and show her that he'd changed.
He was doing better. Maybe with time, Olivia would realize he wanted nothing more than to bring her and Noah into his family. He'd spoken with each of his children, making sure they understood his feelings and his intentions.
"Dad? You going to answer the door?" Kathleen nudged him in the back. "Go on."
Elliot cleared his throat. He could feel the red flush on his chest and neck. He had no doubts his ears were showing his emotions just as brightly. "I'll get it."
"Finally," Bernie muttered, much to his children's amusement.
Elliot took a breath before opening the door. He prepared himself for another disappointment only to break into a wide grin when a nervous Olivia and an excited Noah were waiting for him. "You made it."
"We brought pie from the store." Noah hefted it up in his arms. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Mom said this was your favorite."
There was a prolonged silence. Elliot had reached out to take Olivia's hand. They stood there, staring at each other.
"Olivia. We're so glad you both could make it. And you must be Noah." Maureen stepped into the awkward quiet. She motioned for him to follow her. "Noah? I'm Maureen. Would you like to sit with my sons? They're not much younger than you. They've got this new building set that you could help them with."
Elliot barely noticed when Noah shoved the pie into his hands. He was still staring at Olivia. He finally shook himself out of his thoughts when she started to slip out of her coat. He moved forward to help her, admiring how stunning she looked in her dress. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Olivia smiled over her shoulder at him before turning around.
"Easy, Dad. They just got here. Don't turn all the charm on at once." Richard slipped up behind them. He grabbed the pie out of Elliot's hands and wandered off with a jaunty wave. "Hey, Liv. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
All of the awkwardness faded away quickly as his family welcomed The Bensons. The typical Stabler Christmas chaos covered any uncomfortable silences. Elliot didn't think he'd ever been happier, having all of the people he loved in the same house.
After dinner, Elliot had almost expected Olivia to leave as quickly as possible. But she stayed. Noah had made fast friends with his grandsons. The three were challenging Eli on some video game. It was good to see his youngest son smiling and enjoying himself.
There were stories told. Gifts exchanged. Elliot sat back, enjoying it all, watching Olivia relax for the first time in his presence.
His kids had all told him Olivia and Noah were welcome. They'd also hinted at how they were aware of the potential for a relationship developing. They'd given it his blessing, which had eased some of the worries in his mind.
It was later in the evening when he got a chance to speak to her alone. The kids were all watching a movie. Bernie had corralled all of them into the living room and then sent Elliot and Olivia outside.
They were standing on the terrace. His mom had done wonders with the little garden area. Elliot reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Olivia's face, smiling when she reached up to hold his hand where he'd cupped the side of her head.
"Liv."
"Thank you for inviting us, my friend." Olivia leaned into his touch. "I haven't enjoyed myself this much in a long time."
Elliot paused when they could hear Christmas music from inside the house. "Dance with me."
"El."
"Dance with me." He stepped back from her a little, bringing up one of his hands. "Keep me warm, friend."
Olivia hesitated for a moment before slipping her hand into his. He drew her closer as they danced slowly under the stars. "Do you have plans for the day after Christmas?"
"Not yet."
"Noah and I have our own tradition. Maybe…you'd like to join us?"
"As your friend?" Elliot held his breath when her fingers teased the back of his neck. "Liv?"
"I don't think we've ever been just friends, El. Even when we were supposed to be." Olivia rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm a single mom. Dating isn't easy."
"I'm a single dad with a whole lot of baggage." Elliot tried to stay calm while hope rose in him. "I'd love to spend the day after Christmas with you. Maybe we can plan for a night out, just the two of us, closer to New Year's Eve."
"It's a date." Olivia lifted her head up, tilting it towards the sky. "There's mistletoe."
"Oh? Where?"
"Somewhere." Olivia leaned in for the briefest kiss. They both chuckled when muffled cheers and whistles came from inside the house. "And maybe we can ditch the audience for our first date."
"Sounds like a plan, partner." Elliot kissed her again just because he could.
The author of this SVU - Heart for the Holidays story will be revealed in January