Prompt #53: "Is that lipstick on your collar?"

Is That Lipstick on Your Collar

~oOo~

"Hey," his voice came through her office. She immediately looked up and gave him a smile.

"Howdy." It was an ongoing joke ever since she said it at his house, during his first UC job back in the States.

He lowered his voice, making it deeper, the way he finally only used with her these days. "Looking good, Captain." She smiled up at him, finally accepting compliments from this man.

"And where does your Sergeant think you are?" she asked teasingly since it was the middle of the day. It was a slow day so far, but she knew things would get tricker the later it got. It was Valentine's Day after all.

She looked at the bullpen, remembering she had sent the guys out to follow a lead from a case that came in the night before.

"Oh, she's coming over actually. I stumbled over a case that may be connected to yours."

"And here I was thinking you came over to see me." She pouted at him. He loved this, seeing this side of her that no one else got to. The joyful one, that liked to joke, that wasn't afraid.

"Well, I did volunteer to come over first," he offered. "I left so early and you were so deep asleep, I was afraid to wake you up." He learned early on she wasn't a morning person.

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "Shut up, I'm not that bad."

"Tell that to the bruise I carried in my arm for a week," he said.

"Well, next time I'll punch harder," she promised. He laughed at her joke and made his way around her desk, leaning against it.

"I was thinking about what I should get you for Valentine's Day," he teased.

She smiled up at him. "You know you don't have to get me anything, right? And the flowers this morning were beautiful."

"The flowers were for Noah." He reached for her face, tucking a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

"I get to look at them too." She rested her face against his hand.

"I was thinking of earrings," sensing she was in a good mood he dared to add, "perhaps a ring." If it took her by surprise, she didn't let it show. She simply took it as a joke.

"The big-ass compass wasn't enough? Gonna get me a tattoo Property of Elliot Stabler?"

"Haha, look who got the jokes," he paused. "It's not really a bad idea, since you refuse to disclose, and all these men keep sniffing around you."

"Jealous asshole."

"Yeah? Come here." He pulled her up from the chair leaning in to kiss her. When she got closer, she noticed something right there for her to see. She gasped. "Is that lipstick on your collar?"

He froze mid-movement.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Elliot, there's fucking lipstick on your collar." Her voice took a deeper, angry tone. He seemed to think about it before releasing an "Oh".

She pushed away from him, pissed off at his nonchalant attitude. "Are you kidding me?"

"Liv, no, it's not what it looks like." She rolled her eyes at his line.

"Yeah, I don't know where I heard that one before," she said.

"You can't possibly think I'd do that to you," he said seriously.

Before she could answer, a knock on her door was heard.

"Excuse me, Captain," Ayanna's voice echoed. They both looked at her, and she paused mid-step sensing she had interrupted something.

Liv pushed away from him. "Sergeant Bell, please come in." That's when she noticed Ayanna wasn't alone.

"Captain Benson, nice to see you. I don't believe you have met our liaison agent? This is only her second case with us, she arrived last night. Tia Leonetti."

It wasn't the hair, or her body, that by the way looked extremely like hers, but what got her attention was the deep red lipstick the other woman was wearing, just the right shade to match her boyfriend's collar. She looked at him incredibly hurt, before falling back into her captain persona.

"Welcome to SVU, Agent Leonetti, it's nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

~oOo~

The rest of the day passed with her actively ignoring him. The tension in the room was thick, and by that time, Elliot was pissed she could ever think he'd do that to her. He took his time going out for coffee while Ayanna called Jet.

Olivia could sense her eyes, following every movement she made. She finally had enough, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Can I help you, Agent Leonetti?"

"You know, I was curious to know who you were, I didn't think I'd ever meet you," she said with her heavy accented voice. "Kathy said we looked alike, but I didn't really believe her."

"You knew Kathy?" Olivia asked.

"We were sort of friends while they lived in Rome, that's when I met Elliot," she explained. "The last time I was here, all OCCB looked at me like I was some kind of visage. You know, I went to his home, the last time we worked together. We got drunk, and the next morning I woke up in his bed."

Olivia frowned at the woman, but mostly at the pain her heart was feeling. "Is there a point to this conversation?" Olivia said sharply.

"Nothing happened, Captain. He slept on the couch, even with me willing, all he could talk about was the woman he is in love with."

"Seems to me you got pretty acquainted this time."

"Huh?" The woman looked confused.

"You should be more careful where you leave lipstick stains, Agent," she spat out.

"Oh, that? We had to play pretend quite early this morning," she offered. "You know, Captain? I'd never peg you as a jealous woman, but then again, with someone like Elliot, it's for the best, right?" She left the room and Olivia to sit with her own thoughts.

She saw Elliot coming back in, a tray of coffee in his hand, in a completely different shirt. She observed how he always stayed clear of the other woman's touch. She sighed deeply. "Yep, I really screwed that one up."

~oOo~

It was quite late when he made it home, but she was waiting for him on the couch.

"I didn't know if you were coming home tonight." They had taken to calling her apartment home, since it was where they spent most of their time.

"I didn't either," was his only answer. He sat on the other end of the couch.

"I'm sorry, I was a jerk."

"Yeah, you were," he agreed, starting to relax.

"El, I put in disclosure paperwork today." He looked at her, surprised. "I know you've been trying and I have been holding us back. I don't want that anymore, I love you and I want everyone to know." She pushed herself against his side. He put his arm around her and breathed her in.

"I'd never do that to you, you know that right?" he said seriously.

"I know, and I'm sorry I doubted it even for a second." She pulled a small package and gave it to him "I got this for you…for Valentine's Day, I guess."

He smiled at her, taking his gift and opening it. "Is this..?" It was a ring, very elegant. He looked at her, she had tears in her eyes.

"I know you were joking earlier, but I don't want to wait anymore. Will you marry me?" He laughed with joy.

"Woman, you just couldn't wait for me to do this, could you?" he joked. "Aren't you getting on your knees?"

She gave him a playful slap. "I was going to get on my knees later, but if you are being an idiot, I won't give you the second part of your gift." She got up and walked to their room.

"Hey, Liv? You know it's 'yes', right?"

She beamed at him. "Well, fiancé, why don't you follow me to the second part of your Valentine's Day?" She then proceeded to take off her shirt, throwing it directly into his chest.

He never got up from the couch so quickly.

The author of this SVU - Love Lead You Home story will be revealed in March