It takes less than two hours before Katie kicks Elliot out of his own home.

"If you don't get away from me, I swear…" Kathleen nearly shouts at Elliot as he flits around her room for the third time, tucking in her blanket and refreshing her water glass and asking her if she needs anything.

"Katie!"

"I'm serious, Dad."

His brows furrow. "I'm just trying to make sure you have everything you need and are comfortable."

"I have everything I need," she says as she sighs and tries to relax against her pile of pillows, including two from Elliot's bed (with new covers, of course). "I can get to the kitchen and bathroom on my own, and Grandma is here."

"Fine. Fine," Elliot concedes, putting his hands up in mock surrender as he backs out of the guest-room-turned-recovery wing. "I'll just be in the living room, if you need me."

"Actually, can you just go?"

"Go? You want me to leave?" he asks, confused.

"Yeah. I cannot handle you hovering or huffing around the loft."

"I won't–"

"Yes, you will. I need peace and quiet and you will ruin that, even if you don't mean to. Remember that one time Liz broke her wrist in the 3rd grade? You slept in her room for two weeks."

Elliot pinches his nose in frustration. "I won't do that."

"Please, Dad. Can't you just go to Olivia's or something?"

Dropping his hand, Elliot narrows his eyes at this. "Is this some scheme to get us to go on a date?"

"No, I just… please?"

He sighs, seeing how exhausted his daughter looks. "Fine. I'll call her. I don't know what she and Noah are up to tonight, but I'll call and see if I can go over there for a bit."

"Thank you. I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Katiebug."

"Thanks again for letting me come over," Elliot says when Olivia opens the door to her apartment about an hour later.

"You must have been really hovering to have her kick you out of your place completely." Olivia greets him with a small smile. She had been surprised when Elliot called her and grumpily asked if he could come by for a while that evening. When she had left his place that morning, they'd agreed he was going to spend the day with Kathleen and his mother and that she would call him before she went to bed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Elliot agrees. He kisses her on the cheek before stepping past her and into her apartment. "I'm just such a terrible dad."

"That's not–"

"I know," he cuts her off with a soft, but sad grin.

She shakes her head and raises her arm towards her living room. "Pizza's on its way. I'll get you a beer. Why don't you and Noah pick out a movie?"

He nods and walks toward her living room. "Sounds good."

One and half movies later (Barbie and one of the gazillion Transformer movies), two slices of pizza are left in the box on the coffee table, and Noah is curled up asleep in a brown, oversized chair. Olivia and Elliot are seated a respectable distance apart on the couch.

"Are you good to turn this off?" Olivia asks as she rises from the couch to wake Noah and help him to his bedroom.

"Yeah. I have no idea what's going on with these stupid cars anyway."

"Transformers," Noah corrects sleepily as his mother guides him down the hall.

Elliot grins and apologizes. "Sorry, Transformers. G'night Noah."

"Night."

Elliot starts to clean up their mess in the living room and takes the leftovers to the kitchen, but first he checks his phone for any messages from Kathleen. Seeing none, he shoots her a quick message:

How are you?

Gonna head home soon

Do you need anything?

Olivia joins him a few minutes later, watching as he digs through her cabinets for a container for the leftover pizza.

"Here, El." She interrupts his search, holding out a small container from the dishwasher.

"Thanks," he says, putting the pizza in her refrigerator. "And thanks again for letting me crash you and Noah's movie night. I know we agreed on a call tonight."

"Nah," Olivia waves him off with a soft smile. "It's good to see you again."

He gives her an ornery grin as he stalks towards her. "Yeah? How good?"

They didn't get a chance to really dissect the events of the night before this morning before Olivia had to go pick up Noah from Amanda's. They had promised to talk about it tonight.

But little else crossed her mind all day. Even while helping Noah with his homework and placing a grocery delivery, all she could think about was him and them. His visit, while wholly unexpected and initially throwing her for a bit of a loop, has turned out to be more than she could have hoped for. And rather than panicking about what this new physical development means for them, she can only think about how to schedule a repeat performance before he leaves on Monday.

"Good enough to repeat," she answers, matching his tone.

"Watching movies, you mean?" he asks with a glint in his eye as he looks at her lips.

"Yes, watching movies."

He leans in and kisses her sweetly with his hands on her hips.

"Hmmm, I'm still not over the fact that I get to kiss you."

She huffs a small laugh and smiles. "I'm pretty fond of it myself. When do you need to get back?"

Elliot pulls his phone out of his back pocket one-handed, not letting Olivia back up more than a step.

I'm fine, Dad.

Gonna take more pain meds and sleep.

Stay out as long as you like.

All night even ?

"I don't," he answers after reading Kathleen's messages.

Olivia cocks her head. "El–"

"See for yourself," he interrupts, turning his phone towards her.

She snags it and holds out from her face, unable to read it up close without her readers. She snickers when she gets to Kathleen's last message.

"So maybe you'd like to see what movies I have in my room tonight?"

Elliot doesn't answer. He just kisses her again and starts to walk her backwards.

Olivia hisses and pulls away from the kiss when her hip clips the corner of the counter.

"How about we just walk?" she asks and holds out her hand, much like he did the night before. "We don't need to wake Noah."

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" Olivia asks quietly as they enter her room, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Elliot shakes his head with a quiet "No," and steps into her, kissing her again, trying to immediately deepen it.

"Hmmm. Wait." Olivia pulls back with her hands between them on his chest. "I want to freshen up and get into pajamas. You don't mind, do you?"

Smiling, Elliot answers, "Not at all. Take all the time you need."

He waits until she shuts her bathroom door before stripping down to his briefs and socks. He folds his clothes neatly, not wanting to be messy the first night he stays over, and sets them on her dresser.

He stands in front of the dresser looking himself over in the mirror, taking in his facial features—half covered by a beard—and his upper half, which has retained much of the muscle he's been able to strengthen and tone over the recent years.

Elliot's never been one to really scrutinize his body or looks. For years, he was married and he knew that Kathy thought he was handsome, which was more than enough. And, on occasion, his ego would get a boost when he'd catch a woman turn her head or take a second glance his way.

It wasn't until he became a widower in his 50s that he really paid attention to his own looks. He'd always kept in decent shape for the job, but he'd become a better dresser out of necessity during his time in Italy. And when he accepted the role of Eddie Ashes, he finally gave up on his hair and used that time to grow out the beard that Kathy had always prohibited (it was too scratchy, she'd say). All of it together really seems to attract women. He can't deny that the attention is nice.

But right now, all he cares about is whether Olivia is happy with how he looks. Based on their few interactions since they've started this thing between them with their letters, he thinks she's satisfied. She might not be as verbally expressive as he is, but he's watched her and sees how her cheeks flush and her breath catches – and the way she touches his body. She's just as in awe of him as he is of her. And he is in awe of her, thanking God every day to be the lucky man who gets to be with her.

Elliot quickly shucks his socks, tucking them in his shoes before getting into her bed. Noticing one nightstand has an old glass of water, a pair of reading glasses, and a phone charger, he assumes he's picking his side correctly.

He's settling, sitting up against the headboard with the comforter around his hips, when Olivia opens her bathroom door.

"Sorry, just a couple more minutes," she mumbles to him as she walks to her dresser.

He watches her from his position and notices the subtle stiffening of her back and shoulders under her soft, light blue pajamas.

"Liv," he calls softly. "Is everything okay?"

She doesn't turn to look at him yet, still messing with something on her dresser—a jewelry box, he thinks. "Yeah. Just –"

Keeping his voice even and easy and doing his best to tamp down his own disappointment, he offers, "Do you want me to go?"

Elliot doesn't want to push her too far, still fearful of how quickly she ran from him just a few months ago after they had made out on her couch. But he feels like they've made strides since then. Last night was phenomenal, and she was fine this morning and has been good all evening. He knows, though, maybe more than anyone, just how quickly Olivia's mind can change course.

"No, I just –" She finally turns towards him. "It's so nice to have you here and see you there," she adds, waving at him in her bed.

He nods. "It's nice to be here."

"But you aren't here for long."

"I know. I know," he agrees. "I wish more than anything I could just call it all off."

She walks to the bed and sits down on the edge, on top of the covers. "I know you do."

"I'm sorry that our timing is shit."

"Me too," she says with a soft smile.

He reaches out and squeezes her hand. "But we shouldn't waste the time we do have together worried about our time apart."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

"Say that again," he taunts.

Olivia slaps his chest gently. "Oh, hush, you."

He catches her hand when she pulls back and uses it to pull her closer. He kisses her lips gently when they're in reach.

"I'm here right now, and I promise you, I'm coming back the second I get the green light."

She whispers, "I know," against his lips as he kisses her again.

"Come on then. Get into bed. It's late."

Olivia joins him under the covers, slides herself close to him, and lays on her side. He follows her lead, facing her as he rests his head on the other pillow.

His hand finds her hip, cupping her over the soft fabric of her pajamas.

Elliot feels her hands scratch through the hair on his torso and slide up his chest, resting on his pecs.

"Your heart is pounding," she whispers, her head tilted down

He can feel his cheeks turn hot, though he's certain she can't see it. "Yeah. Well, it's not every day I'm in your bed."

"No, I guess not."

She leans to kiss him this time. He can tell that she means it to be a sweet, almost innocent kiss, but he follows her when she pulls back, demanding that their lips stay together, wanting nothing more than tonight to move well beyond innocent.

Elliot's amazed at how easy it is, kissing her, being with her. Their bodies move in sync; when he goes to pull back, she follows him. He uses his hand on her hip to gently tug her close so that her chest rests over his, and he deepens the kiss. Their tongues meet, but the kiss is almost lazy as they lay close under her covers.

He loves the feel of her hands on his chest, slowly sweeping across his skin and rising up over his shoulders and down his arms. He can feel her heart pounding against his own.

Elliot has been waiting for these moments, to be close to her and intimate with her, for months (years, really), coming in his own hand for the past several weeks thinking about the way she kissed him back during his last visit. Especially the way she rolled hips against his, seeking her own pleasure and heightening his.

He never wants to move beyond her comfort, but after last night, he wants to be closer. He wants their skin to touch, wants his lips on her breasts and nipples and his cock inside of her. He wants to hear her panting his name in his ear and to feel her shudder when she comes. With those thoughts rolling through his head, Elliot can only handle her soft kisses for so long before he tugs on her again.

"Okay, caveman," Olivia huffs as she situates herself on top of him, straddling his thighs.

He mutters, "Sorry," with a sheepish smile before pulling her head back down to his. His hands don't stay in her hair, though, slipping under her pajama top and smoothing over her back and down to her ass, to move her over his erection.

Olivia sits up and tugs her shirt off, tossing it over the side of the bed.

"Shit, baby," Elliot pants, smoothing his hands over her soft skin, covered in small goosebumps from the cool air. He sits up, propping himself up on one extended arm behind him, to take a nipple between his lips, sucking gently, still learning the pressure it takes to most arouse her.

Her hands find the back of his head and scratch down his neck and shoulders. "Feels so good."

Lost in the smooth skin of her chest, Elliot wraps his arm around her, holding her close, and grinds his hips into hers. He groans loudly when she matches his movements.

Olivia laughs huskily. "Shhh. Can't be too loud."

He grunts acceptance of her words against her breasts but doesn't stop his tongue or hips. His cock is hard and strong in his briefs, seeking as much relief as it can against her, and he's thankful her sleep shorts are thin and soft because he can feel how hot she's growing.

When he finally pulls back, fully sitting now, her nipples are puffy and glistening from his attention. He kisses up her neck as his hands slip under her shorts and squeeze her ass. "I need these off."

She nods and kisses his lips before wiggling out of her shorts and tossing them over to land on her top. He can't help but watch her, amazed at every bit of skin that's revealed to him. The small strip of moonlight peeking through her curtains highlights his view.

"El, yours too," she whispers and tugs at his waistband.

He lifts his hips to help and then grabs her arm before she gets the chance to lay back on the mattress. "I want you on top of me."

She doesn't say anything but straddles his thighs again and reaches for his cock, stroking in an easy rhythm.

He can't handle it. Not the look of her, naked on his lap—soft and sexy in the semi-dark; not the glint in her eye and the way she bites her bottom lip; and not the firm grasp of her hand on him, twisting over his head and smoothing down. He has to be inside of her.

"Shit, Liv… Please," he begs. He reaches between her legs with one hand to feel whether she's ready for him and uses the other to pull her center closer and closer. "I need…"

"I need, too," she echoes and nods. She lifts up over him and slowly sinks down.

His own groan drowns out any sound she might have made, and he barely registers her shh-ing him again.

He swallows and nods, acknowledging her warning. She feels too perfect, and the last thing he can handle right now is an interruption by her pre-teen son. He recalls that her door is locked—thank God—but a knock by Noah would be as effective as pouring a bucket of cold water over them. But he doesn't want to be cold. No, he wants to stay wrapped up tight in her heat for as long as he can.

And like the night before, Elliot pleads with her for movement, "Liv, you gotta…" He rocks his hips to finish his point.

He feels her slowly lift up and drop back down experimentally. He's not sure whether her slow movements are for her to adjust to him or because her knees need to warm up, but it feels heavenly, and he moans into her neck as he kisses up to her jaw.

"So good… So good, baby."

He hears her hmmmm in return, and her movements begin to speed up. He lets her take the lead, wrapping his arms around her back, just tight enough that he can feel her nipples rub against his own chest. He continues to lavish his attention on her neck and jaw, careful not to stay in one place too long, knowing he can't leave a mark (even if he wants to).

Just when he considers countering her hips with thrusts of his own, Elliot finds himself being directed by Olivia's hand in the center of his chest to lay flat on his back.

His eyes are wide and trained on her, watching what she does next. Olivia's eyes are closed. She has one hand in her own hair, holding it up off her neck, and the other still on his chest, giving her leverage to move. She's still lifting up and down on him, but with the space she's just created, she adds a twist of her hips on each downthrust.

"Liv… Fuck, you are so sexy," he pants.

He sees the little flutter in her eyes and the way she sucks in a breath, confirming that she likes his praise.

Elliot runs his hands over her hips and belly, gripping her flesh as he goes, and then up to her breasts, squeezing before finding her nipples as she continues to move above him.

"I could watch you fuck me every day… Just like this baby," he mutters just loud enough for her to hear, though this time it's more for him than her.

And then, all of a sudden, he can't handle the distance between them and needs her lips on his. He begs, "Kiss me… God, please kiss me, Olivia," and presses on her back.

Her eyes open wide as she nods, taking him in before she leans down. He knows he probably looks wild and on edge because that's exactly where she's taking him. Her hips move to a deep, forceful grind by the time his lips capture hers when she lays down over him.

She pulls from his desperate and sloppy kiss back to catch her breath and exhale several soft "Fucks," in a row as her hips rut even harder against him.

Elliot loves that; that his Captain swears when he's inside her. Especially as he can feel her cunt clutch around him. She's close and he knows it. Nothing changes in her rhythm, but he can feel small, involuntary twitches in her thighs and hears her despondent whimpers. He knows better than to move, so he doesn't. He waits and focuses on the feeling of her taking what's hers from his body.

"That's it, baby," he encourages. "You feel so good. You're gonna take me with you."

He feels it when she comes, her body shuddering and shivering over him and pulling him in deep and tight. This time, however, she calls his name, quietly, but husky and deep. He's never heard anything as sweet as Olivia's "Elliot," when she comes.

When he's certain that he won't take anything from her—her chest heaving, her breathing deeply in his ear after collapsing on his torso—Elliot wraps an arm around her back again and grips her hips with his other to keep her moving over him. His feet are flat on the mattress and he starts to thrust into her forcefully and erratically from below.

He feels delirious now, so close and muttering every thought that comes to mind with each forward slam of his hips.

"Yeah…Shit…You feel so good… Gonna make me come."

And when he does, he's got just enough mind to bury his face into the junction of her neck because he has no control over the desperate, almost whining sounds that spill through his gritted teeth.

He opens his eyes, still gasping for breath, when he hears her giggle.

"What?" he asks, still breathless.

Olivia pushes up onto her elbows and rests her chin on his chest. "Nothing."

He looks at her incredulously and takes a couple deep breaths. "You didn't giggle over nothing. Captain Benson doesn't just giggle," he counters, with narrowed eyes.

"I am just impressed with how well you were able to hold back."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Never."

Elliot spoons behind Olivia after they take their time to recover and then clean up, putting their clothes back on and unlocking the door.

Breathing deep, Olivia settles back against his chest. "I'm going to miss this when you leave."

"Me too. But when I'm back, I'm not sleeping anywhere else but next to you."

She sucks in a breath and can feel his hands rub down her arms soothingly. She can tell that he's trying to decide if he needs to take it back. But she doesn't want him to, either. She wants him in her bed every night.

"I can't wait."

Olivia feels Elliot relax behind her.

"Now get some sleep. Noah's still a fairly early riser."

Buzz Buzz Buzz

"Make it stop," Elliot grumbles in his sleep as he rolls away from Olivia and folds a pillow over his head to escape the noise.

"Shhhh," Olivia hushes him and reaches for her phone.

It's only 2:43 a.m., but it's Fin.

"Hello," she answers, sleep still present in her voice.

"Sorry to wake you, Cap, but we need you in. Big movements overnight with BX9. Big."

"Shit."

"I'm sorry. I swear if I could have left you out of it, I would have."

"I know. I know. It's going to be a bit. I've got to call Martha in."

"Okay."

"See you soon."

Olivia collapses back against her pillows and wipes her hands down her face, before flipping on her bedside lamp.

"El. I've gotta get up."

He rolls over, facing her but with a hand up blocking the light. "I heard."

"Sorry," she says as she gets out of the bed, heading for her closet.

"No need," he answers, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her. "I understand the job."

She's not paying attention to him now, with pants and a shirt over her arm, she's scrolling through her phone. "I've got to call Martha. Are you okay to drive this late?"

Elliot stands, and reaches out to cover her phone with his hand. "How about I take Noah today?"

"What?"

"Let Martha have her night. I'll stay here until Noah gets up, we'll get breakfast, and then he can hang out with me today."

"El, I can't ask you to do that."

"You aren't asking. I'm offering," he argues before adding, "I want to spend some time with him and Ma and Kathleen would love to see him again."

"But –"

"No buts." He interrupts her and kisses her quickly. "Just let me do this for you. We'll be fine."

She looks at him skeptically, worried that he doesn't know what he's getting himself into. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he answers definitively.

"Okay, then. Get dressed and go to the couch."

He does a double take. "What?"

"Well you can't stay in here!"

"Liv!"

She ignores him. "I'll get dressed and then let Noah know that I have to go in and that you crashed on the couch because it was too late to drive."

"Olivia, he's not a baby. He's almost 13. He knows we shared a bed the night I got back. He won't be surprised if I'm sleeping in here."

"Please, El." She knows he's right and she's being a bit ridiculous. Noah is old enough to know that she and Elliot might be sleeping together. But she doesn't want to confront that fact today.

He inhales deeply and lets it out slowly. "Okay."

"Thank you. Extra blankets are in the hall closet."