Walking along the sidewalk Olivia smiled over at Elliot, her arm linked under his. It was a stunning late autumn evening and most of the trees in the park had dropped their crisp golden leaves. Soon the temperature would drop even lower and the chill of the harsh New york winters would have their hold on the city.
It had been a beautiful evening for their first official date, they had dinner in a cosy italian followed by a Carriage ride through the park. The whole evening had been magical and one to remember even if it was a little chilly in the carriage around the park.
Shivering slightly Olivia pulled her flimsy shawl a little tighter around her shoulders. When Elliot had asked her out he had just said it would be a surprise as to where they were going so she had no clue as to what to wear. With Elliot it could have been anything from a burger and a beer in one of the many Dinners in the city to a candle lit dinner on one of the private boats on the river. She had settled on a 1950s style red dress that just sat on her knee. The bodice was tight hugging her figure with the skirt flaring out at the waist.. There was a light damask pattern on the fabric giving it an extra depth of colour. She had paired it with a black shawl and a pair of black pumps with a slight heel.
Taking his jacket off Elliot carefully draped it over her shoulders. "Here" he smiled.
"Thanks" she smiled, pulling it a little tighter around her shoulders, the lingering warmth from his body already warming her.
They came to a stop outside her building, turning to face him she smiled as his arm snaked around her waist pulling her in to him, slowly teasing her into a deep passionate kiss.
Looking up into his eyes she smiled against his lips. "Do you want to come up for a drink?" she asked, running her hand down his arm.
The lift seemed to take an age to reach Olivia's floor. Unlocking her door she slid her feet from the heels feeling instant relief as her bare feet touched the wooden flooring. Placing her bag on the kitchen counter and Elliots jacket on one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar she pulled 2 glasses down from the open cabinet
"Red or White?" she asked.
"Whatever you fancy" Elliot smiled looking round her apartment.
He hadn't been in her new apartment before but it seemed to suit her. The living area was huge and open plan with several huge windows that overlooked the city below. Walking round he sat on the sofa and immediately jumped up after hearing a yowl.
"What the hell is that?" he said watching as a huge fluffy tabby cat jumped off the sofa, sniffing round Elliots legs and looking up at this interloper who had not only invaded his kingdom but also had the nerve to almost sit on him.
"He is my Cat; Hercules" she smiled, handing him a glass of Red wine.
"Liv! Thats not a cat is a fucking lynx" he said grinning, watching as the cat began rubbing its face around her legs.
"He's a Maine Coone" Olivia smiled "and I don't think he is even fully grown yet" she said, scooping him up and carrying him over to the huge cat tree that was in the corner of the room. It was then Elliot could see how big the cat actually was, he was around the size of a small child and he was almost certain he must weigh the same as well. He watched as the cat climbed on to the top platform and lay down batting at a stuffed mouse that hung from the basket next to the platform.
Brushing the cat hairs that had accumulated on the sofa, Olivia sat down next to Elliot
"So how come you never told me you had a cat?" Elliot asked
"I guess it never came up!" she shrugged sipping her wine
"And why the huge Wild cat?" he asked.
"He was so cute and Maine Coons are sort of 'the dogs of the feline world so I guess it's like having a dog but with less work" she smiled " He doesn't mind when I have to leave him all day and return super late unless his feeder malfunctions. but when I come home he is super fussy and playful when I get home" she said, turning watching as Hercules was still batting at the little mouse on his tree.
Placing her glass on the coffee table in front of her Liv pulled her feet up curling up watching Elliot as he watched the cat.
"He's not going to hurt you, you know. He is really just a gentle giant" she smiled.
"Well the size of those paws says otherwise" he said nervously.
"You're not scared of a little pussy cat are you" she grinned sliding closer to him.
"No!" Elliot protested a tad too hard "well that's not just a little kitty. He is huge"
Liv grinned "methinks the man doth protest too much"
"I…" Elliot stammered "I am not scared of the cat…"
"Relax El I am teasing" she smiled. Sliding closer to Elliot, Liv smiled. "I had a really great time tonight," she said softly.
"Ditto" he smiled, reaching over, running his hand up her leg, teasing her into a kiss.
Looking into his eyes Olivia smiled, chewing her lip, standing she pulled him to his feet leading him down the corridor to her bedroom.
Elliot woke unable to move, he could feel something pressing down against his body along with something sharp digging into his chest. Opening his eyes slowly he was greeted with 2 orange eyes staring at him. As he slowly came to his senses he realised it was the cat lying across him licking his hair.
"What the hell!" he said
"That means he likes you," Olivia smiled, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Yeah really loves me when he is crushing my lungs and trying to stab me with those claws" Elliot smiled as the cat jumped off trotting out into the living area of the apartment.
"Cats choose their people El" Olivia smiled. "Grooming is a sign that they like and accept you. They are saying you are one of their favourite humans." she reached up to give the cat a stroke behind the ears as he was purring louder than an engine.
"Is that right? Well in that case your cat has excellent taste" he grinned snaking his arm around her waist pulling her close, teasing her into a kiss.
Giggling softly, she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. "Elliot," she smiled.
Hearing a metallic thunk from the kitchen along with a loud meow Olivia sighed, sliding from the sheets. Grabbing her robe from the back of the door pulled it on
"Whats wrong" Elliot asked sitting up leaning against the pillow
"He is also very demanding and will only get louder with his yowling if he doesn't get his breakfast now" she said walking out "I am coming Your Majesty" she smiled picking up the bowl and placing it on the counter.
Pulling out a packet of food from the cupboard under the sink she carefully emptied it into the bowl and added some kibble before placing it down on the floor watching him pounce on the bowl.
"How about now you have fed the cat we feed ourselves" Elliot smiled walking up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Sounds good," she smiled , leaning back into his arms. "There is a really nice Cafe I normally go to a couple of blocks away they have the best coffee and the eggs are amazing" she said
She turned to face him grinning as he had found her fluffy winter dressing gown she hardly wore unless she was particularly cold or feeling ill. "Nice look stabler"
"Well are you going to go dressed like that?" he smiled looking at her in a short cotton robe that left nothing to the imagination . "Not that I mind but I am pretty sure that I read about decency laws in the academy" he said pulling on the tie slightly so it fell open
Knocking his hand away she grinned "behave, I'm going to get dressed. Don't let him con you into giving him anything else.
She walked away back towards the bedroom,allowing her robe to fall slightly off her shoulders revealing her bare back , Elliot had to grip on to the worksurface just to control himself as he heard the shower begin. He wanted nothing more than to join her and have an encore to last night's performance but he knew they would never make it out before lunch time.
She returned 15 minutes later in a pair of tight leggings and a tank top. Dropping a matching jacket on to one of the chairs in the kitchen she turned to elliot
"Are you going out dressed like that?" she smiled "I am pretty sure there are decency laws in New York City" she continued, the same line he had given her.
"Of course not" he said, backing her into the corner of the units teasing her into a kiss running his hands up the back of her top.
"Elliot" she gasped "if we want breakfast then you need to get changed" she said ducking out of his way .
"Spoil sport" he said walking towards her bedroom "can I grab a shower" he asked.
"Sure." she smiled "I'll get you a towel" she walking towards the linen closet in the hall
Walking into the bathroom she placed a powder blue towel on the heater opposite the shower cubicle
"Your towel is on the side," she said, watching his silhouette through the curtain .
"There is still time for you to join me Benson" he said
"Not if we want breakfast Stabler and Hercules may have been purring like a steam engine but I could still hear your stomach over all of that"
"Spoilsport" Elliot said
"I didn't say no. I just said not now." she said. "Now hurry up"
Stepping out the shower he grabbed the towel, wiping his face he tied around his waist. Walking into the bedroom he picked up the jeans he had been wearing the night before. Pulling them on he looked around wondering what he was going to wear as she has completely ripped the buttons off the shirt he had been wearing
Turning he spotted something on a pile of folded washing on a chair in the corner of the room. Pulling one of the T-shirts out he smiled, it was one of his that he kept in his locker for emergencies. She had borrowed it several weeks ago when a drunk perp threw up all over her.
Pulling it on he smiled remembering her reaction to the Black Sabbath tee. She knew that he had a wild taste in music but was not expecting it to be full on goth rock. He also remembered how much she hated wearing it for the rest of the day.
Walking out he watched as she expertly pulled a purple jumper over Hercules head and he could hear the cat puring
"So why are you putting a jumper on a cat?" Elliot asked
"Because he does not like the harness directly on his fur" she said carefully easing his paws in to the harness
"And why is he wearing a harness?" Elliot asked
"Because we are taking him with us to breakfast and he quite likes a walk" she smiled looking up "why are you wearing my t-shirt?" she asked
"I think you will find it's my T-shirt you borrowed after Anders projectile vomited all over you and you had nothing else in your locker." he smiled.
"Lets just go and get breakfast" she smiled clipping a blue lead on to the harness.
Walking out onto the street she smiled watching as Hercules trotted on sniffing the pavement.
"Shoot" Liv said feeling her pocket "I left my phone upstairs. Can you hold him for a second" she said putting the lead in his hand
"Liv!?"Elliot said
"You will be fine. Just don't let him near the tree I'll be 5 minutes " she said pulling the huge glass door to her apartment block
He watched as she went up in the lift "well Puss it looks like it's just you and me for a bit" he said watching the cat sniff around "wait what are you doing…"
Olivia dashed back out onto the sidewalk she had been longer than she had intended as one of her neighbours had cornered her asking all sorts of questions about the noise coming from their mutual neighbour and what could the NYPD do about it all.
She spotted Elliot stood by one of the few trees that lined the street his one arm stuck in the air
"Where is Hercules?" she asked
Elliot pointed up and liv could see the cat lay lazily over one of the branches the lead tangled round the trunk
"I thought I said keep him away from the tree" she said grinning Hercules had clearly had some fun
"I Tried. Your cat has a mind of his own" he said as she walked up to the base of the tree.
Folding her arms she looked right up "come on you. Stop teasing poor Elliot and come down" she said sternly
Yawning Hercules looked down trying to decide if he wanted to come down before jumping down landing on Elliots shoulders.
"No piggy backs this time Mr" she said, lifting him off and managing to untangle the lead. "Right let's go" she said placing him onto the pavement
They managed to get to the cafe without any more incidents apart from when Hercules decided to bat a passing chihuahua because it was yapping as he walked past. It wasn't the first time he had done this. He would usually take a swipe at the small dogs that would bark at him. There was one that lived in their block that usually got a mean left paw.
Elliot smiled watching the cat as he curled up under their table only looking up when he smelt the food coming past them. If this cat was a human then it would definitely be a criminal mastermind he was sure of it.
so hope you like this oneshot. this was inspired by the photo on Meloni's instagram from the temptations podcast he did as well as meeting a huge Main-coone kitty.