A/N: Sorry for being M.I.A., I'm not loving life at the moment. Finals are finished, but I feel like I have no control over anything in my life right now. Maybe one day I can explain it better, but for now, I guess I will just be inconsistent with my publications. I hope y'all can understand. I appreciate every single one of my supporters, I really do.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT OWN LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, LAW AND ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, OR ITS CHARACTERS.
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Stabler's Saturday Celebrations have always been a big deal for Elliot. Saturday mornings were special in the Stabler household. Elliot would get up ridiculously early every Saturday to make his famous pancakes. His children never said much about his cooking, but on the days he made his pancakes, his children went wild. The pancakes had no special recipe, nothing homemade, just a box of 'Original Bisquick Pancake Mix.' These Saturday mornings were a memorable part of not only Elliot's life but as well as Elliot's children's childhood.
With his alarm set for five-thirty, Elliot tries his best to sleep peacefully. Throughout the night he tosses and turns. Unable to drift off to sleep he drags himself up from the couch and to the kitchen. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he opens the top cabinet gently. Taking out a mug, he softly closes the cabinet. He hears a voice behind him, "Can't fall asleep?"
Startling him, Elliot turns around swiftly. He sees Olivia yawn and rub her eyes. Elliot softly speaks, "Did I wake you?"
She shakes her head, "No…" Placing herself on the stool in front of the counter she asks, "What's keeping you up?" Elliot stays silent as he pours the boiling water from the electric kettle into his mug. Olivia softens her tone, "It's just me, Elliot…"
"I know…" he sighs deeply, blowing on his tea to cool it down. With a heavy heart, he exhales, "Just… Just thinking back…"
Olivia nods her head in understanding. Standing up from her stool, she slowly makes her way next to him. Her hip touches his, "I didn't mean to bring anything up… I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Liv," Elliot leans into the side of her.
"I know how much you loved your Saturday Celebrations. I just thought you'd enjoy-"
"I know…"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be," his sparkling blue eyes meet her chocolate brown eyes.
Olivia softly speaks up, "Something's on your mind, Stabler. I can tell."
"I've just been thinking…" Elliot says as a blanket statement.
"About what?" Olivia slightly nudges him with her elbow to provoke an answer.
Elliot turns his body to face her. Swallowing his pride and his ego he gently replies, "You." Not knowing how to respond, Olivia keeps quiet. Elliot takes her hand in his and looks deeply into her eyes, "I know you're not really ready… I know you agreed to go out for dinner, but- that's dinner." Olivia inhales and opens her mouth to speak, but is cut off by Elliot, "Do you think you'll ever be ready? Truly ready?"
Her heart sinks deep into her chest and her breathing becomes more shallow. Not even thinking, she quickly replies, "Yes." Elliot had not expected her to be so blunt with her response.
"Don't say that- not unless you mean it…" he shakes his head adamantly.
"I mean it," she insists. Placing her hands on his chest, she looks up and into his eyes, "I think… I think I'm ready, Elliot."
"You think?"
"I know."
"You're ready?"
"I'm ready," she asserts. Elliot's head dips down and approaches hers. He can feel her breath leave her lips. Olivia pushes her head forward and plants her lips onto his. Starting slow and gentle, Olivia's hands move up his chest and cup his face. Elliot lightly places his hands on her hips, drawing her in smoothly. As much as she wants to continue, she backs away cautiously, "I- I have to… go back to sleep…" Watching her back out of the kitchen, Elliot sighs with a tinge of disappointment. Olivia stops backing away and stands still, "I'm not running away. I promise. I just know that if I don't go to bed now, I won't be very pleasant for breakfast." She emphasizes, "I'm not running."
"Neither am I," he states boldly in a low voice.
His response brings a smile to her face. Trudging her way back to her bedroom, Olivia can hear Elliot sifting through her cabinets. Finally falling asleep, she dreams of the fluffy pancakes she is about to devour.
The clanking in the kitchen continues throughout the night. Noah is the first to wake up and leave his bedroom. The boy smiles when he sees the kitchen decorated with blue and gold streamers, as well as blue and black balloons everywhere. Catching Elliot blowing up a balloon, Noah runs up to him and wraps his arms around him, "Elliot!"
Nearly falling back, Elliot lets the balloon deflate, "Noah! Good morning."
"When did you do all this?" Noah releases himself from his embrace and looks around the decorated kitchen.
"Do you like it?" Elliot doesn't feel like it's his place to tell Noah that he wasn't able to sleep because of what Olivia and him talked about.
"I love it! I didn't know we had balloons and streamers," Noah bounces a balloon from one hand to another.
A grin begins to form as Elliot watches the young boy joyfully play with the decorations, "You wanna help with the pancakes?"
"Absolutely!" Noah jumps up and down with excitement. Elliot gathers all the ingredients and materials needed for the pancakes as Noah quickly uses the bathroom.
Elliot and Noah work together to build their stack of pancakes. Their goal was to beat the Empire State Building. As Elliot stretches his arm up to the top of the stack, he is spooked by footsteps creeping up behind him. A delicate hand touches his shoulder. He is met with a soft, "Good morning." Almost knocking down the entire stack of pancakes, Elliot jumps back in preparation to catch the mountain. Olivia giggles and apologizes, "Sorry! Sorry!"
"Glad you could make it to Stabler's Saturday Celebrations," he announces.
Olivia leans in and hugs him, "I wouldn't miss it."
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A/N: I will try my best to update this as regularly as possible.
