As the middle of the night turned into early morning, their laughter transformed more and more into yawns. They stopped the game around 4 am and Olivia realized she didn't know when was the last time Elliot had slept if he traveled from god knows where after his assignment to come back this morning for a full day of meetings and a full night of gala.

They found themselves on the couch, side by side, the remnants of popcorn and games scattered on the table and both physically exhausted, but happy.

"Tonight was fun." Elliot declared, his words carrying his gratitude.

"It was." Olivia agreed, her eyes were heavy as her head resting on the back of the couch.

"A great first date." He playfully added, enticing a sloppy slap on his chest in response.

"Stop it." She insisted, but this time, there was no outright denial.

Instead, they fell into a comfortable silence. Elliot even thought Olivia might have dozed off but her voice told him otherwise.

"Thank you, Elliot." She said, her eyes closed.

"For what?"

"This. Tonight. For coming back."

Elliot took a moment before conveying his next promise.

"Always."

His tone made her open and raise her glossy eyes at him. Her head was still resting on the back of the couch, but she turned it to look at him. He looked back, letting her see all of his emotions. They were close, like this. The air was thick with unspoken words and desires. Both of them on the edge of something more, but unsure if it was the right moment to finally open that door. Unable to resist, Elliot delicately raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She let him.

"I'm glad you were happy tonight." He told her, softly.

She smiled sleepily, the emotions of the night catching up with her.

"I used to think it wasn't in the cards for me, you know. Happiness."

Elliot absorbed her admission. It didn't surprise him, knowing her and her past. His gaze drifted to the compass hanging from her neck for a moment before settling back to hers.

"You deserve it, Liv."

Her eyes teared up again. A moment of quiet understanding passed between them.

"I think I'm starting to believe that, yeah."

"Good."

Lost in his blue eyes, Olivia wanted to ask him to stay the night. Wanted to tell him she was ready. Wanted to move this relationship, what-ever-it-was, forward. Her eyes went to his lips and Elliot read it all on her face. They hadn't seen each other in 8 months, and yet, they never felt closer. The temptation lingered, neither making the first move.

And then, doubts surfaced in Benson's eyes. What if it doesn't work out. To Elliot's dismay, she broke eye contact, and sat straight to reach for her wine glass on the table. Thinking their moment was over, Elliot stayed still, and prepared himself for a classic Benson-retreat. They came very close to that line tonight, she'd likely run for the hills.

To his (delightful) surprised, she didn't.

"The compass didn't point me in his direction." Olivia said, drinking the last of her wine, her face too far for him to read it.

Stabler was confused at the turn of the conversation. Olivia took her time, leaning back against the couch once again, still close to him, before continuing.

"The guy that asked me out earlier. That's the reason I didn't say yes."

Relief washed over Elliot, as his heart beat faster at her words. He assessed her expression before daring to ask the next question, his voice gentle.

"Has it started to point toward a certain direction?" Elliot treaded carefully.

Olivia hesitated, a soft smile dancing on her lips.

"It has."

A reciprocal smile spread slowly across Elliot's face. The air around them was electric, thrilling.

"Good." He simply said, not wanting to push his luck.

It took all of Elliot's strength not to pursue this road just yet. Olivia, however, didn't let the moment rest.

"Although I'm not sure if it's tricked." She teased, breaking eye contact, half from playfulness and half from the fear of laying all her cards on the table.

There was no turning back after this, and she knew it.

"What do you mean?" Elliot welcomed the lightness of her tone, but was still curious about it.

"I mean I'm starting to think the compass is tricked…" She leaned forward again to place her empty glass on the table, taking her time to calm her nerves.

Elliot waited patiently. Sitting back on the couch, wight by his side, she finally decided to go for it.

"It's pointing back to the person who gave it to me." Her eyes bore into his, stealing his breath away.

Oh. She wasn't running away. This time, she was running towards him. For the first time. Elliot's excitement peaked through the roof. His smile could have illuminated the whole city.

The energy between them was palpable. Olivia had just confirmed that she wanted Elliot to be the source of her happiness. She was ready. She wanted Elliot to be with her every day for the rest of her life. She was trusting him wholeheartedly, now sure that he would never leave her again. Stabler's eyes reflected so many emotions in response. He couldn't express how grateful he felt.

"It's not a trick, I swear," he assured her, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. "But I can't say I didn't hope for that."

He reached up to place a strand of her hair behind her ear again. It seemed she was letting him do that now, to his delight. This time though, his fingers lingered at the base of her neck.

Olivia closed her eyes at the intimate touch. Seated closely on her couch in the middle of the night, everything seemed aligned for them to move forward. She leaned into his touch, opening her eyes again. Their breaths quickened, mingling in the charged space between them. Elliot held still, allowing her to set the pace.

As time seemed to stop, Olivia couldn't help but think back to their 5-minute calls in the last few months. Those short bursts of connection had evolved into this moment, into something huge, something deeper. This was the culmination of all the 5-minute moments shared together.

"Will you make me happy, Elliot Stabler?" Olivia requested softly, now certain that her happiness laid with him.

It always had been.

Elliot tightened his grip at the base of her neck, cradling her head to lock eyes. His gaze was unwavering, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Every minute of every day." He promised, his words heavy with conviction.

And it was all the confirmation Olivia needed.

The end! Hope you enjoyed this ride 3

Musical-Aven

January 2024