He couldn't believe the conversation he had with Bell, now he understood the smiles his squad was giving him. Shit! Everybody here knows too much about everybody else's lives. He knows Reyes got divorced and is courting Jet and Jet is pretending she doesn't give two shits, he also knows that Ayanna and Captain Shah had a date or two and that Vargas name is Kyle.
"Look, he can't stop texting her" he heard Vargas whispering to Reyes.
"You two shut up." Jet said out loud when she saw Elliot descending the stairs.
Before reaching his desk and looking them all in the eye, Elliot said with all the calm in the world, something very strange coming from the hot-headed detective.
"Guys, I know that you all know, and I know a lot about you too."
The three of them gulped waiting for the worst.
"But please, keep it all to yourselves. Captain Benson's reputation too important for the city and she's..."
"We're not going to tell the department you're dating her, Stabler. Chill." Jet risked, she knew Elliot saw her as a daughter and their respect for each other kept her shielded from his temper.
"The thing is, I'm not."
"WHAT?" the two other men said in unison.
"I'm trying to... I'm regaining her trust and friendship first then please, don't let it out of here. I don't want people making her feel exposed or her boss trying to ruin her work at the SVU or her reputation. We don't need more rumours."
"Ok, your secret is safe with us." Vargas said seriously and Reyes just nodded.
"Thank you." Elliot said and went to his desk to finish his paperwork. How he hated bureaucracy and how he missed Olivia next to him, to correct his grammar and smile at him. Oh, he was talking to her before Ayanna called him.
["Liv, sorry for not responding asap. Ayanna needed me at her office."]
He typed in a hurry.
Three dots appeared.
["What did you do now, El?"]
She really knew him, he smiled softly. How he loved this woman.
["We did."]
He was going to play a little with her curiosity.
["What?"]
["Dinner tonight? Any time any place. Your choice!"]
He risked, already fearing that's too much too soon. Soon? They're texting and Calling each other for almost a year now. This was ridiculous, but their work and their fear...
["El, tell me."] She pressed.
["Gonna do, but in person."] He prayed to God for her to accept his invitation.
["You're going under again?"]
He read and read and felt a pang in his gut. She was afraid he was leaving again. He was always leaving her. No more.
["No, Liv. It's something else. I'm not leaving."]
He reassured her quickly, didn't want her to feel bad.
["Is it good or bad?"]
["Depends."]
["Elliot Stabler!"]
["Olivia Benson!"]
He tried to make fun, but she stopped texting and he thought she was angry and ignoring him.
Jet said she was going to send him an email about their new case, but he was distracted.
More than 10 minutes have passed since his attempt of a joke and nothing from Olivia. He was fucked and kicking himself for not telling her right away and for asking her on a date out of nowhere.
Reyes asked if he wanted coffee, he declined. Couldn't take his eyes from his cellphone.
30 minutes have passed, and Vargas told him they had more info about the suspect, he only nodded. Checking his phone again.
Elliot was so antsy that he started to pace, went to bathroom and washed his face, angry at himself for pulling that shit on her.
Drank almost three cups of coffee and then went back to his desk to try to finish his duties.
It was almost lunch time when his cellphone started to ring. He almost let it fall to the ground trying to answer. It was her.
"Liv?"
"Tonight at 7. My place. Bring ice cream because Noah will be there."
He was in heaven.
"I will. Don't worry. Liv, trust me."
"I'm trusting you, El."
Oh, he melted when she called him El.
"Thank you! See you tonight."
"Bye, El."
"Bye, Liv."
He waited her disconnect the call and looked at his phone, trying to believe that she called him to accept his invitation and making her own.
He couldn't stop smiling and texted her once more.
["Liv, just ice cream?"]
The dots appeared.
["Yeah, El. Just ice cream and you."]
He closed his eyes letting her words sink. He was going to have dinner with the woman he loved and her son.
["Ok. Can't wait to see you."]
He was getting bold.
["Go finish you work so you can."]
[" ;) "]
His smile reached all his face, his eyes shinning with happiness. Elliot Stabler was happy.
Meanwhile, Jet, Reyes and Vargas looked at him smiling.
"He's in love, huh?" asked Vargas.
"Well, he's been in love with Captain Benson for decades." Reyes answered.
"But you said he was married, and his wife was killed in 2021".
"And? Since when being married prevented a person to fall in love with someone else?"
Jet just looked at Reyes, knowing this could apply with their situation too.
"Kyle, do you like bets?" She asked him seriously.
"What kind?"
"Romantic."
"Tell me more."
"Tonight at 7. I'll send you the address."
"Ok?" He asked confused, afraid he could cause any trouble between her and Reyes, when she said:
"Bring Trisha too."
"What?"
"I know everything, remember?"
"Damn."
Reyes only laughed.
The day seemed to last forever; they all couldn't wait to get out of the squad.
They had lunch together, talked about the case, signed mountains of paper, drank almost all coffee Elliot brought for them and the clock never reached 6.
"Ayanna, I need to run some errands and I finished all my work." Elliot announced getting all his stuff and already walking to the stairs that led to the door.
She looked at her watch, it was a couple of minutes past 5.
"Ok, guys! It's Friday and I don't want to see or hear about you all until Monday. Go enjoy your weekend."
They all wished her the same and practically run away from the office. Even Jet.
Now it was her turn to get out of there. It was almost a miracle they all were free to go.
She couldn't wait for 7 o'clock and didn't imagine they all couldn't too.
Part 3 soon…