So, the time has come to end this story. I'm sure you all have noticed how long it takes me to post a new update on any of my stories. And it's simply because I have some major writers block. I just feel like I've become somewhat bored with my current stories and it's time for fresh stories. I've recently been rewatching scandal and I have so many ideas for new stories, and I want to start writing them. But before I can do that, I have to finish my current stories, I promise I won't just leave them incomplete. I'm going to be finishing all of my stories one by one and posting all the final chapters together. So here are the final chapters to Nature V Nurture.
There's going to be multiple small time jumps between the chapters.
Chapter Twenty-five: Parents Night Out
"Olivia I'm going to kill you!" Erika shouted from the stall she was currently changing in. Olivia had managed to find the one semi scandalous dress Erika owned and of course that's what she brought for Erika to change into and no other options.
"What did I do?" Olivia smirked in the mirror, touching up her makeup. She knew exactly what she did and why Erika was yelling. Olivia had gone to Erika's house to find her something to wear for tonight and she was fully prepared to bring Erika something from her own closet, because Olivia was sure Erika didn't have anything worthy of a birthday night out. And she was almost correct, flipping through several sweater dresses, overalls, and summer dresses. Olivia loved dear sweet Erika, but she dressed like a forty-year-old virgin. Olivia was about to give up, until she reached the back of Erika's closet and found a little black dress hanging up. It was a thin strapped, with a deep neckline and a thigh high split on one side.
"You know what you did."
"Erika just come out the bathroom, I'm sure you look fine." Olivia gasped in the mirror when Erika finally opened the bathroom door. "Bitch! Look at you!" Olivia fixed the straps on Erika's dress, and corrected her breast in the cups. "I cannot believe you've been hiding this rack and body in those frumpy overalls."
"You look great" Abby said.
"It's not too much?" Erika said, fidgeting with the hem of the skirt that was past her knees. The dress wasn't too much at all, but it was a lot for Erika's wardrobe, and it's just wasn't what Erika was use to wearing. "It feels like too much."
"No it's not." Quinn tried to reassure her. "What Olivia has on is too much." Quinn joked and Olivia just smiled. Too much was always her style, she liked to stand out.
Erika looked at Olivia. "Leave it to you to find the one dress in my closet that fits me like a wet suit."
Olivia was still pushing Erika's breast up in the dress as she spoke. "Well good thing I did. Otherwise you'd be out here in a babydoll dress and kitten heels." The rest of the girls laughed, because they all knew who Olivia was talking about, Claudia.
"That wasn't necessary." Abby said, feeling obligated to speak up for her friend, even if she was laughing too.
"It is giving beetle juice vibes isn't it." Quinn said and more laughter followed.
"Come on guys that's not nice."
"Abby she's your friend why didn't you tell her to dress up?" Olivia asked.
"I did!"
"And that's what she decided to wear? My mother has heels higher than the ones she's wearing right now." Olivia said.
"Alright enough on Claudia. And you're only saying that because you're mad she's here with Fitz."
"No, I'm mad that she's going to throw our group pictures off." Olivia laughed.
"Stop it."
Someone tried to push the door opened, but the girls had locked the door to the powder room when they came in. They were all grateful that this restaurant had a powder room with love seats and full length mirrors.
"Alright yall lets finish up so we can leave, we can't keep this bathroom hostage all night." Olivia said, checking her makeup one last time in the mirror and fixing her lipstick. "E, come here."
"What?" Erika walked over to where Olivia was, still pulling at her dress and trying to stuff her breast into the dress.
"Stop fidgeting, you look beautiful. Now hold still." Olivia touched up Erika's make up and put a little shimmer in the valley between her breast and on her thigh where the split in her dress was. Erika jumped when she felt a cold spray on her foot.
"What are you doing?"
"It's numbing spray." Olivia said, spraying Erika's other foot. "Your feet are going to be screaming after a night out without this stuff."
Erika stood still and let Olivia work her magic on her. If she was being honest with herself, she was enjoying the pampering and she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and thought, damn I do look good.
"So Liv, you really don't care that Fitz is here with another woman?" Erika asked, looking down at Olivia as she fixed the straps on her shoes.
"No E I don't. Fitz is a big boy he can do whatever he wants." She didn't believe a word she was saying. "Besides I have Adam."
"And do we like Adam?" Althea asked, dropping in on the conversation.
"Yes, we do." Olivia smiled. She really did like Adam. She was apprehensive when he first called her, and honestly she was a little annoyed that it took him so long to call her. But he explained that he was doing so much work overseas and didn't know when he would be back in the states. He didn't want to start anything new, knowing he would be thousands of miles away. And Olivia was grateful, because she didn't do long distance relationships, especially not international long distance relationships. And after a few weeks and quite a few dates, Olivia found herself truly enjoying Adam's company. He was smart, funny and worldly. He loved literature, history and old school music. Olivia found it easy to talk to him and be herself and he was a great distraction.
"So this isn't going to be a repeat of Blair?" Quinn asked.
Olivia made a twisted face. "Oh hell no. Blair was a boy perpetrating as a man. He isn't even on the same radar as Adam. Now he's a man."
Quinn raised an eyebrow, "So you two have…" Quinn smirked shimmying her shoulders.
Olivia smirked, "I don't kiss and tell."
"Bitch since when?"
Olivia laughed. "Fine yes okay. And before you ask, yes he most certainly knows his way around the female body. Damn near blacked out the first time."
"Bitch!" The girls laughed, until someone banged louder on the door.
X
"What the hell is taking them so long?" Stephen checked his watch yet again, waiting for the women to come back from the bathroom.
"Stevie five women just went to the bathroom to change and primp or whatever they do. Did you really expect them to come out in ten minutes?"
The men all chuckled, but they were all feeling Stephen's frustrations waiting for the women to come back. Claudia was the only one standing with them since she wasn't changing.
"You riding solo tonight Junior?" Adam asked, sipping his beer.
"Oh yes sir." Junior smiled. "Why would I want to stroll to a club with a woman already on my arm? Oh but please know that I may walk in there alone, but I'm leaving with some fine thang on my arm." Junior winked, with all the confidence.
"So Adam, how do you an Junior know each other?" Fitz asked. He didn't get a lot out of him during dinner and he wanted to know who the guys was dating his ex-wife.
"We went to school together, played ball in college and kept in touch."
"Hm. So how'd you get in the hotel business?"
"My father. It was his thing and he taught me the trade. When I graduated with my masters in business, I took over and took the company international."
"Must be very lucrative." Huck said, eyeing Adam's watch and cuff links. He looked and smelled expensive just like Olivia.
"I do alright." Adam smiled.
"So you and Olivia, that's a thing, you two?" Fitz asked. Adam nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "She didn't mention anything."
"Well you'd have to ask her about that, but I don't need an announcement." Adam said with a straight face. He wasn't intimidated by Fitz or any man for that matter.
"Sorry fellas." Everyone turned at Abby voice coming back down the hall. All the men wore the same look on their face when they turned around, lust. The women had returned, dressed in a mixture of form fitting short skirts, leather pants and see through tops.
"Wow." Harrison said, when Erika stepped into view. He'd never seen her done up like this before. He thought she was beautiful even in her overalls, but he'd be lying is he said he wasn't turned on right now.
"Ms. Pope, Ms. Pope." Adam crooned, as Olivia sauntered his way. Adam was used to seeing Olivia all done up by now, but every time he saw her dressed up he got hot a bothered all over again. She was wearing a red, long sleeve, sequined mini dress with a deep neckline. If there was one thing Olivia was going to do was wear a plunging neckline. The dress also had sequenced tassels all around that shook with each step she took.
Olivia smiled when Adam took her by the hand and spun her around before pulling her into him. His hands going to her waist, and Olivia wrapped one arm around her neck and the other hand played in his beard.
"You like?"
"You know I want to be a gentleman and tell you you look beautiful, which you do. But I also want to say you look so fucking sexy." Adam crooned in her ear.
Olivia giggled, "Well I'll take both." Olivia leaned up and kissed his lips, still playing in his thick beard. She loved that damn beard. She'd tried to get Fitz to grow a beard before, but he didn't like it.
Fitz was growing more irritated by the minute and it wasn't lost on Claudia. The second she'd seen Olivia, she looked to Fitz to see his reaction. He tried to hide it, but she could tell Olivia was getting a reaction from him. He'd tensed up, his jaw had tightened and the vein in the middle of his forehead was bulging out.
Claudia subtly cleared her throat and knocked Fitz out his trance from the couple. Fitz snapped out of it and finally looked elsewhere. "Erika what the hell are you wearing?" Fitz asked, looking at his sister in the skin tight, revealing dress she was wearing. Grown or not, she was still his baby sister and he was not use to seeing her like this.
"What? This is what Olivia brought for me to wear." Erika smiled. She was beginning to like the dress, especially when she saw the reaction it got from Harrison.
"Um hello?" Fitz said to Olivia, who was lost in her own world, giggling and kissing on Adam. "Yo!"
Olivia finally broke away from Adam with a grin. "What?"
"What is this?" Fitz motioned to Erika.
"What she looks hot, Harrison likes it." Olivia smirked, but Fitz didn't find it funny. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Relax chief." Olivia patronizingly patted Fitz twice on the cheek as she passed by holding Adam's hand.
"Let's go people, I haven't had a night out in too long. I'm ready to dance the night away and get a certain birthday girl wasted."
"Um that second part will not be happening." Erika shouted after her.
Olivia had drove her car to the restaurant tonight with Althea and Jason, but now she was going to ride in Adam's town car and let Jason and Thea drive her car.
"Whoa wait, Jason can drive your car but not me?" Junior said offended. Olivia was just about to step into Adam's car when she stopped.
"Hey Jason how many times have you mistaken drive for reverse and drove into a light pole."
"Uh… never."
"It was one time! Let it go." Adam shouted.
Olivia laughed, "You let it go, you're never driving my car." Olivia climbed inside and Adam slid in behind her.
"Town car, nice call." Olivia said when they pulled off.
"Well I couldn't very well feel you up if I were driving us." Adam pulled Olivia close to him, almost on his lap. He had one arm around her shoulders and the other hand running up her thigh, squeezing.
"Oh you could, it just wouldn't be as fun."
"So what would you say if I were to ask you to spend the night with me?" Adam bit the side of Olivia's neck, before soothing it with a kiss.
Olivia moaned, melting into his side. The kids were with her parents for the night, and she knew they wouldn't mind keeping them until the morning. They were probably expecting her to stay out all night anyway.
"I…" Olivia was cut off when Adam moved his hand further up her thigh. She thrown her leg over his thigh to give him better reach. "I think I can be persuaded."
"Is that so?" Adam moved her panties to the side and slid two fingers inside. Olivia gripped his jacket and tossed her head back. Thank God for partitions.
X
"Alright ladies what are we drinking on?" Abby asked over the loud music. They had made it to the nightclub and the ladies all left the men in their section to go get some drinks. The bar was slightly packed with everyone trying to get their orders in and the bartenders were all the way on the other side of the bar mixing drinks and ignoring the other end.
"You've been staring at that ring since Harrison put it on your finger." Olivia smiled at Erika who was fiddling with the new rock on her finger.
"I can't help it." Erika beamed. "I can't believe I'm somebody's fiancé. I'm gonna be someone's wife."
"Hey he's the lucky one, you're way too good for him." Olivia pulled Erika into her side, squeezing her shoulders.
"Hey dude! How 'bout some service!" Abby shouted, getting increasingly frustrated at being ignored.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Abby I've told you before, you get more done with sugar than a stick."
"What?"
Olivia switched spots with Abby so that she was the one at the bar. She leaned over and loudly whistled to the bartender, catching his attention. "Hey blue eyes, what's a girls gotta do for a drink around here?" She winked at him and flashed a flirty smile. He was already walking their way.
"For you beautiful, that smile will do. What can I get you ladies?"
All the girls rattled off their drink orders, getting one for themselves and their men. Olivia ordered her drink and two beers for Adam and Junior.
"Claudia perhaps another Shirley temple? Or maybe a juice? I think they have cranberry." Olivia asked sweetly, but anything but.
Claudia only smiled; she wasn't going to break. "A club soda is fine. Oh and a corona for Fitz."
Olivia smirked, and turned back to the bartender. "Add a Heineken to my tab please. And five shots of green label patron."
"Damn Liv slow down." Thea said.
"One shot is not going to hurt us. Besides I have not had a night out in a long time." Olivia passed a shot to each of the girls except Claudia. "My kids are with their grandparents and momma's going to have fun tonight. So raise them up bitches." Claudia stood to the side as the ladies toasted and took their shots.
"God I hate tequila." Erika shuddered.
"Oh I love it, makes me feel all warm and tingly." Abby said making everyone laugh. "I have a feeling this night is going to end with one or all of us dancing on this bar."
Olivia shook her head. "Not me, my dress is too short and my panties are in Adam's car. I got them a little wet on the drive over."
"Olivia!" "Eww!" They all shouted, laughing.
"Here you go ladies."
"Thank you!" They all said at once, grabbing their drinks. Oliva had three beers in one hand and her glass in the other.
The men were all still sitting in the same position in their section, laughing about something someone had said.
"Here you go." Claudia passed Fitz his corona and sat down next to him on the couch. She took a sip of her club soda and noticed Fitz hadn't drunk his beer. "Something wrong?"
"Oh uh, no… It's fine." He said. "I just don't really drink coronas. I'm more of a-" Fitz was cut off, when Olivia silently took the corona from his hand and replaced it with a Heineken before sitting down next to Adam. "Heineken." Fitz finished saying.
Claudia clenched her jaw. She knew that Olivia did that on purpose, she could have just told her at the bar that Fitz didn't like coronas.
"Thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate my birthday." Erika spoke loudly to everyone. "Oh and I guess my engagement too." Everyone smiled at how giddy Erika was right now. The joy she was feeling in this moment was just so pure. "This is probably the best birthday I've had and I'm glad I get to share it with all of you. I love you all and thanks so much for making this night so special." Erika was getting emotional, thanks to the drinks she'd already had tonight.
"Alright, there's no crying in the club." Junior said, making everyone laugh. "And excuse me Harrison, but I'm going to steal the birthday girl for a dance." Junior lead a giggling Erika out on the dance floor and spun her around. Quinn and Thea both followed behind, leaving their husbands behind.
"I'm going to use the restroom and when I come back I wanna see how this dress moves on the dance floor." Adam spoke to Olivia, squeezing her thigh before he made his exit to the restroom.
"Come on Claudia lets dance." Abby held her hand out for Claudia, but she hesitated taking it.
"Oh I don't know, I'm not really a dancer."
"Girl no one is. Just move your hips and you'll be fine. If you think I'm I going to let you sit on this couch all night, you thought wrong." Abby took Claudia's hand and pulled her from the couch and to the dance floor. Olivia was left behind with the guys watching.
Olivia could feel Fitz looking at her, but she refused to turn in his direction. She just sipped her drink, watching her friends dance. She rolled her eyes, watching Abby trying to get Claudia to loosen up and dance.
"So." Fitz spoke. "Adam huh?"
Olivia still didn't look his way, as she responded. "Yep."
"You two dating?" Fitz asked.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
"So you're a thing?"
Olivia sighed, "We're in a relationship, yes."
"And it's been going on for a while now?"
"Why?"
"You never told me you were seeing anyone. I mean we live together, and you've been dating this guy for what, some months now? And you never mentioned it."
"You never asked."
"Okay, still don't you think I should know who's around my kids? I thought we agreed to that."
"We did agree to that, and Adam has never been around the kids. When that day happens yes, I will talk to you about it."
Fitz was quiet for a while until he spoke again. "He seems alright. Wealthy and not terrible to look at. Seems like your type."
That made Olivia look his way with a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?" Was he saying she only dated a man if he had money?
"Nothing." Fitz shrugged. "I'm just saying he's wealthy and-"
"He's also incredibly smart, he's kind, generous, and he makes me laugh so yes he is my type. And yes Fitz he is very handsome and also very wealthy. But I don't give a shit about his wallet because I've got my own. Now how about you focus less on my relationship and more on yours with what's her face."
"Ready for that dance?" Adam had come back from the bathroom and caught the tail end of Olivia and Fitz's conversation.
"Perfect timing." Olivia was still looking at Fitz as she spoke to Adam. She finished off the rest of her drink and took Adam's outstretched hand, letting him lead her to the dance floor.
"Why do you always have to piss her off Fitz?" Huck asked once Olivia was out of ear shot. Fitz didn't respond.
"Cause he's jealous. That's why I set him up with Claudia. It pathetic, he's still caught up on her."
"Caught up on who?" Junior asked, coming back to their section. He and Harrison switched, now Harrison was dancing with his fiancé.
"You're sister." Stephen answered.
"Oh please, that's nothing new. They're both still caught up."
"I am not caught up." Fitz tried defending himself.
"Fitz please. Anyone with eyes can tell you and my sister still have whatever feelings for one another. You may act like you can't stand each other, but it's not fooling anyone. But you need to let that shit go. If y'all were going to give it a second chance you should have done that already." Junior drank the corona Fitz had abandoned. "Now Adam is good for Liv and she really likes him too. She needs to focus on that and you need to focus on whatever you and uh…" Junior snapped his fingers trying to remember Claudia's name.
"Claudia." Fitz said.
"Right. Focus on her." Junior spotted a woman at the bar who'd been eyeing him for a while now. "Now if you will excuse me fellas, I'm going to go focus on that little senorita over there."
"You know he's right." Huck said. "You do need to focus on someone else. I'm just not sure Claudia is it."
"Why is that?" Stephen asked. "She's great."
"I didn't say she wasn't. She's just… she the complete opposite of Olivia."
"Exactly. I'm trying to get the man over her, not find Olivia 2.0."
"She's also the opposite of any woman Fitz has ever dated. She's all buttoned up, sweet as hell but she just seems young and naïve. She's not his type."
"She's a nice woman."
"Again, never said she wasn't. She's just not a match for Fitz is all I'm saying." Huck put his hands up, having said his peace.
Fitz had had enough of this conversation. "Are you all done discussing my love life like I'm not sitting here?" the fellas laughed. "And since when did we all sit around talking about relationships in the club, gossiping like a group of females?" The guys all looked at each other, then simultaneously put their drinks down and made their way to their partners on the dance floor.
Fitz caught Claudia by surprise when he came up behind her. She was loosening up a bit, but she was still uncomfortable. The club scene was never her element even when she was younger. She has always been a homebody, never the outgoing type. Fitz kept thinking about what Huck said before, and he was right. Claudia was not his type, she was nothing like the women Fitz had dated before. But Fitz thought that's why she was great for him. He didn't have the great of luck with love in the past so maybe he should try a different type of woman. He was determined to move on, he was tired of pinning after Olivia. She'd moved on and as much as it would hurt, he wanted to move on too. But as he looked over to Olivia dancing with Adam, his thoughts just consumed by her, he wondered just how in the hell he was ever going to get over her.
X
The next morning Olivia woke up on her stomach in the bed with the sheets pulled up to her neck. Her hair was sprawled in every direction on the pillow and she was sore. Her muscles were aching and her head was pounding. She remembered some of last night, she remembered dancing with the girls and Adam just about the entire night. And she remembered several shot and drinks flowing all night long. When she and Adam left the club last night for his place, they were barely in the car before they started playing grab ass. The entire car ride the two of them were fused together in some way. Adam wasn't as inebriated as his date, but he'd partaken in quite a few of the shots and drinks floating around. The rest of the night was somewhat of a blur, but Olivia knew just why she was sore in certain places and why she had a lazy smile on her face as she woke up despite feeling like shit.
After laying in the bed for another twenty minutes, Olivia made herself get up and out of bed. She went to the bathroom to empty her bladder and almost screamed at her appearance. She washed the remaining traces of her makeup from last night off, brushed her teeth and finger teased her hair into something presentable. She put Adam's discarded button up from last night on and headed downstairs to find him.
"Ah she lives." Adam joked when Olivia peeped around the corner. He'd woken up well before she had. He had time to go for a run, come back shower and answer some work emails, before he got breakfast started. All the while Olivia was in the same spot he left her in. He knew that after their long night at dinner, the club and their late night activities she was beyond tired. "How do you feel?"
"Like death on high heat." Olivia responded, taking a seat the large kitchen island.
"I bet you do. I lost count of how many drinks we had last night." Adam dropped a seltzer tablet into a glass of water before passing it to Olivia.
"Thank you. What's all this?" Olivia gestured to the food spread across the island.
"This my dear is the perfect hangover special. Cream cheese strawberry waffles and five spice turkey bacon omelets."
"Mmm and he cooks too."
"Well I don't just cook for anyone." He placed a plate of food in front of Olivia. "And only special people get my cream cheese pancakes."
"So I'm special?"
"Absolutely." He gave her two soft kisses on the lips before sitting down next to her with his own plate of food.
Olivia took a bite of her pancake covered in warm syrup. "Oh my God." She didn't realize how hungry she was until she put that food in her mouth. She could feel Adam watching her as she ate, ignoring his own food. "What?" She asked him.
"I like this." He answered. "Waking up with you, spending the morning together. It's nice."
"Yeah it is." Olivia knew where this was going.
"I want more mornings this this Liv."
Olivia tensed. "Meaning?"
"Relax, I'm not asking you to move in with me… yet."
"Then what is on your mind?"
"Your roommate."
Olivia scrunched her eyebrows. "Fitz?"
Adam sighed. "Look, I know you have your whole situation or arrangement with your ex-husband, but I don't want to feel like I'm sneaking around anymore. I understand you not wanting to parade new people around your kids, but I think we're past that now. We've been dating for a while now and-"
"I don't mind you meeting my kids Adam." Olivia interrupted. "If that's what this is about, I just have to talk to Fitz about it first."
"Olivia I would love you meet your kids, you know that. But that isn't my only concern."
Olivia didn't think that was his only concern. "You don't want me living with Fitz anymore."
"I know he only moved in to help you with the kids, and I understand that. But I can't say that it doesn't bother me that you and your ex-husband still sleep under the same roof. To know that if I come visit you, he'll be the one answering the door or I'll have to pass by him on the couch. To know that the real reason you won't let me spend the night at your place isn't because of the kids, but because of him. And I'm trying to be understanding of your situation Liv, I really am. But I guess I'm just wondering how long am I going to have to be understanding?"
"Fitz and I never really had a conversation about how long he would stay with me." Olivia knew Adam was right. She'd been keeping Adam hidden away because of Fitz. Adam has been to her home before, but only when it was just the two of them. And the only reason she hasn't introduced him to her children yet, was because she didn't want to tell Fitz about him yet. But Adam was right, they have been together for long enough, and now Fitz had met him. She and Fitz haven't had a conversation about him moving out, but maybe it was time they did. The twins were older now, almost a year old, and Olivia was finally ready to go back to work. She'd made the decision a few weeks ago and her first day back was tomorrow. It was a hard decision to make, but Olivia knew she was ready. And between her parents, Fitz's parents and Mrs. March, she was completely comfortable with leaving her children for a few hours.
And the more she thought about it, she knew there was no point in Fitz staying with her anymore. She knew they could just as easy co parent from two different houses. She decided then she was going to have a talk with Fitz. She just hoped he didn't get upset at her asking him to move out.
"I'll talk to Fitz about him moving out."
"I'm not trying to force your hand Olivia."
"I know. But you have a point and it's a conversation I need to have."
X
"Yeah, I just got back in." Fitz held onto his cell, wedged between his shoulder and cheek. He had just gotten back from picking the kids up at Olivia's parents house. He was juggling sleeping twins and their bags and trying to corral Sophia into the house. She'd tried several times to jet back into the garage and run from Fitz, because she thought it was hilarious. "Soph enough, get in the house." Fitz put his leg out in front of the door, but Sophia just ducked and crawled underneath his leg. "Claudia hang on a minute." Fitz put the twins down in their pen in the living room and sat his phone on the counter so he could go get Sophia. She was in the corner giggling, and when she saw him coming for her, she tried to dart underneath his truck. She made it halfway under, before Fitz grabbed her by the ankle to keep her from going any further. He pulled her back out and hung her upside down. That only made Sophia laugh harder.
"What are you doing crazy?"
Once Fitz finally got all the kids in the house, he sat them in the living room watching TV. The kids had already eaten breakfast, but Fitz had yet to eat, so he went back to the kitchen to make himself a quick breakfast.
"Shit." Fitz cursed when he remembered he'd put Claudia on hold. "Claud? You still there?"
"Yeah I'm here. Sounds like you have a lot going on over there." Claudia laughed.
"Yeah, it's only three of them and only one is walking, but somehow they are all over the place." The boys weren't walking yet, but they were crawling, sort of. They couldn't yet crawl on their hands and knees yet, they were still scooting on their bellies to get around. Olivia had to keep reminding herself that they were several months premature, so they were behind developmentally.
"I can only imagine how hectic three kids under three can be."
"Beyond hectic. That was my reasons for moving back in with Olivia, to help her out."
"Hm."
Fitz could sense something was bothering Claudia, but he ignored it. The ring alert chimed that someone was at the front door. He watched the monitor on the counter and saw Olivia at the door with Adam. He rolled his eyes watching them hug and Adam roaming his hands all over her backside. She was cheesing hard looking up at him like he was Mr. Perfect. And when Adam kissed Olivia, Fitz's scowl got even harder. He knew Olivia didn't know he was watching them, like a creeper, but he felt like she was putting on a show. Flaunting this man in front of him and it pissed him off. It pissed him off that he even cared that Olivia had a boyfriend. They had both moved on, so what was he made about? Fitz knew the answer, but he was in denial. They both were, no matter how hard they tried to pretend that they didn't care.
Fitz was just about to turn the damn sprinklers on the two of them when they finally came up for air. Adam caressed Olivia cheek, saying something to her that made her laugh, before pecking her lips one last time and walking away. Fitz moved away from the monitor and continued making his sandwich.
"Hello? Fitz?"
"Shit." Fitz had once again forgotten he was on the phone.
"Fitz?" Olivia called out, before walking into the kitchen. "Hey."
"Hey." Fitz responded. "Hey, Claud can I call you back? Yeah… okay, alright… bye."
"Claud? That's cute."
"Good morning Olivia." Fitz chose to ignore her comment.
"Morning. Where are the kids?"
"Living room."
"Oh." She sat on one of the chairs, watching Fitz make his sandwich.
"Have you eaten? Do you want me to make you one?"
"Uh no, I'm alright, I've already eaten. Adam made us breakfast."
"Well I guess my little sandwich isn't competing with bacon and eggs."
"Actually it's not competing with cream cheese strawberry pancakes and five spice turkey bacon omelets."
Fitz rolled his eyes. "Show off."
Olivia laughed. "Jealous?"
"Nope. This bologna sandwich is just fine." Fitz took a large obnoxious bite to make a point.
"Whatever." Olivia said jokingly. "So listen, since we're on the subject I wanted to talk to you about Adam."
Fitz shrugged. "What about him?"
"I want to introduce the kids to him." Olivia watched for a reaction from Fitz.
Fitz couldn't say that he didn't see this conversation coming. But now that it was happening, he didn't know how to feel about it. Adam seemed like an okay guy and Olivia certainly had the right to introduce him to the kids. They have been dating almost as long as he and Claudia have and he was thinking about introducing her to the kids as well. But now that they were here having the conversation, it made everything too real. They were really in two different relationships. They both had other significant others. They had moved on in their heads, but Fitz knew his heart had yet to move on.
"Fitz?" Olivia called out to him, after he failed to say anything. "Fitz?"
"Yes?"
"Comments? How do you feel about that."
"Well Olivia, I can't tell you what you can and can't do."
"I didn't say you could, nor is this me asking for permission. But this was our agreement, that we come talk to each other when we were at this step."
"And you're at that step."
"Yes. Adam and I have been dating for some months now. He's a great guy and I want the kids to get to know him, to get use to him because he's going to be around for a while."
That last part stung. "I understand." Fitz nodded to buy himself time before he had to speak again. "I'm okay with this. As long as you're okay with me introducing them to Claudia."
Olivia wanted to roll her eyes, but she resisted. Fitz was being mature and amicable, and she needed to do the same. "Of course." She smiled.
"Great." Fitz could tell that smile wasn't genuine. "Was that all?"
Olivia sighed. "Actually no." Fitz waited for her to continue. "We need to talk about our living arrangements."
Fitz echoed her sigh. "I knew this conversation was coming eventually. I guess eventually is now."
"Yeah it is."
"You want me to leave."
"Fitz it's not that I don't appreciate you for moving in and helping me with the kids because I do. I know there was no way I would have made it through those early months if it hadn't had been for you. But the boys are older now, almost one, and I've finally gotten to the point where I'm ready to go back to work and I just feel like now is a good time for you to go back to your apartment. And I'm sure Claudia would feel much better if you weren't still housemates with your ex-wife."
"Is this Adam's doing? He doesn't like me living here"
Olivia wanted to keep Adam out of this. "Adam did mention his displeasure with you being here, but this is me talking right now Fitz. And honestly can you blame him Fitz? You know if the situation was different, you would have a problem with it."
Fitz knew she was right, he would definitely have a problem, and he wouldn't have let this arrangement go on for so long. He also knew Olivia was right and that it was time for him to go back to his apartment. He didn't want to, but he knew it was time.
"I understand."
"You do?"
"Of course. I can start packing today."
Olivia chuckled. "Fitz I'm not throwing you out today. You don't have to rush."
He shrugged. "No point in delaying it."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. It's not like I'm not going to see them anymore."
"That's right. My door is always open Fitz, really." Olivia got up from her stool and walked over to Fitz with her arms open. Fitz jokingly rolled his eyes before hugging Olivia around her waist. "I'm going to miss have you around." She spoke softly, squeezing his neck. Fitz nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. He squeezed her tighter, before they were broken apart by Sophia.
"Mama!"
Olivia let go of Fitz and picked Sophia up, twirling her around. "There's my big girl. Did you have fun with nana and Pop Pop?"
"Yesh. I eat getti."
"You ate spaghetti." Olivia tickled her little belly. "You're going to turn into a noodle with all the pasta you eat." Sophia was giggling so much she was drooling.
She reached her arms out to Fitz for help. "Dada." Sophia had recently started calling Fitz 'Dada'. Fitz was caught off guard the first time she'd said it, but then he got used to it and it didn't bother him anymore. He didn't mind. Olivia on the other hand didn't want Sophia calling Fitz dad. Fitz wasn't her father and Olivia didn't want to confuse her. She didn't even know where Soph had even learned the word 'dada'. She figured she'd picked it up from Hannah calling Jason dada, or that damn 'Ms. Rachel' Sophia was always watching.
"Dada." Sophia reached out to Fitz again.
"Fitz Soph." Olivia corrected her daughter as she passed her over to Fitz. "Say Fitz."
"You don't have to keep correcting her Liv, I don't mind."
Olivia shook her head. "I'm not really worried about you Fitz; I don't want her calling you dada. I don't want to confuse her, you're not her father."
Fitz wasn't sure why, but that comment upset him. "What's the big deal? It's not hurting anything."
"She's confused Fitz, you're confusing her every time she calls you that and you don't correct her."
"You're the one confusing her. And I said I don't mind. I'm cool with it."
Olivia sighed, she was getting frustrated. "Really? Now you don't mind, since when?" Fitz looked at her confused. "Just a few short years ago you didn't want a non-biological kid calling you daddy and now you're just 'cool with it'."
Fitz rolled his eyes. "Why do you always have to bring up the past Olivia?"
"Because it's so untrue?"
Fitz surrendered. "You know what, I don't want to fight."
"We're not fighting, this is merely a conversation."
Fitz relented. "If you say so."
Olivia left to check on the twins and Fitz made the decision to started packing up his room that night to move back to his apartment.
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