Title: The Shirt

Genre: Humor/hurt/comfort

Rating: M

Season: 15

Episode: N/A


"Hey, guys, is that Amanda Rollins or a drowned rat?"

"Oh, shut up, Fin!" Amanda snaps at her partner as she hurries into the squad room, her shoes squeaking loudly on the floor as she leaves a trail of water in her wake.

She is soaked to the bone following a mad dash through the parking lot in the pouring rain, her clothes clinging to her frame like a second skin and her hair sticking to her neck in long, wet strands. Drops of water are rolling down her face like tears, which she figures is appropriate since she is on the verge of crying in frustration.

After a nearly sleepless night that had been plagued by bad dreams whenever she actually managed to drift off for a little while, Amanda had awakened to absolute chaos in her apartment: a urine-soaked carpet courtesy of Frannie that she had walked across in her bare feet, and her cell phone ringing shrilly with the news of Kim's latest crisis.

After spending ages cleaning up the mess on the rug and talking her sister through her hysteria, Amanda had been late for work yet again, just when she had been planning on arriving early for once. Olivia has been on her case more than usual concerning her tardiness, Amanda making sure to set her alarm for the crack of dawn that morning in order not to disappoint her boss and to potentially impress her by getting to the precinct before anyone else, unsurprised when her plans had fallen through.

"That is definitely a drowned rat," Nick confirms with a smirk, Amanda glaring at him in response and extremely tempted to wring out her drenched hair right over top of his desk.

Knowing she would immediately be soaked upon leaving her apartment, she had quickly thrown a jacket on over a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of yoga pants, with the intention of changing outfits as soon as she got to the precinct. Since they never know when a shift will run long or a case will require them to take a nap in the cribs or spend the night, each member of the team keeps extra clothes on hand for convenience and hygiene purposes.

She can see Olivia on the phone in her office, the older woman's back turned to the squad room, and all Amanda has to do is make it past her and into the locker room before the call comes to an end and the sergeant spots her. Perhaps she can get herself dried off and changed into fresh, professional clothing before Olivia notices that not only is she late once again but also looks like a bedraggled rodent, at least according to the guys.

Any hope of sneaking by Olivia's office without being observed is dashed when the door suddenly swings open and the brunette steps into Amanda's path, her cell phone clutched in one hand and the other gesturing at her with obvious irritation.

"Rollins, you're late," she announces in a no-nonsense tone, looking deliberately at her watch before their eyes meet and Amanda finds herself shrinking under that stern gaze. "And you're leaving a giant puddle on the floor."

Amanda glances guiltily at the saturated tiles beneath her feet as she listens to her teammates' chuckles. "Sorry, Liv, there was an issue with Frannie-"

"Save it," Olivia snaps without letting her finish, pointing a finger firmly toward the locker room. "Go get changed and then join us out here for new details of the case."

Amanda nods silently, almost losing her balance on the slippery floor as she trudges away as swiftly as her waterlogged footwear will allow, Fin and Nick's laughter following her into the locker room.

She slams the door shut after shuffling inside, slumping down onto the bench with a weary sigh and dropping her bag carelessly onto the floor beside her. Amanda grunts in frustration when she realizes how difficult it is to peel her sopping wet jacket off her shivering form, not even bothering to take the time to hang it up in her locker before tossing it aside and starting on her shirt.

The top feels like it's been super-glued to her skin as she struggles in vain to remove it, lifting the garment up her belly and shimmying it partway over her head before her movements come to a complete halt. A pang of fear ripples through her brain as it occurs to her that she might actually be stuck, her arms flailing uselessly in the air as her anxiety grows.

It doesn't take long before Amanda knows without a doubt that she is well and truly trapped inside her own shirt, as she perches there on the bench with her elbows bent helplessly above her head and her knees jiggling nervously up and down. The fear turns into stark terror when she feels a breeze on a certain area of her body that definitely shouldn't be experiencing anything of the sort, and realizes with mounting alarm that in her haste to dress before leaving the apartment, she had neglected to put on a bra.

There is a clean, dry bra folded in the locker right behind her, but it's not doing Amanda much good when she can't even move properly and is tightly confined within her clothing. Torn between hope that someone will come in to assist her with this odd dilemma and praying that no one will enter the room to witness her intense humiliation, she twists and turns to no avail, gripped in absolute panic.

Of course, the door to the locker room opens at the exact second Amanda decides she will somehow do this on her own and would rather drop dead than have any of her colleagues see her in this ridiculous and peculiar state. She shrivels on the bench in an effort to hide her nudity, curling into herself and wishing the floor would open up and swallow her instead, as she listens in dread to the footsteps heading in her direction.

Amanda's vision is obscured by her sopping wet shirt, but she can hear the footsteps come to a stop in front of her, freezing in sheer horror at the sound of her sergeant's shocked voice.

"Rollins?! What the hell is going on?!"

She is at a loss for words as she sits there frozen with her arms trapped above her head and her bare breasts on full display for her boss to view. Her horror multiplies when she feels her nipples harden instantly, trying to convince herself that it's because she is cold and damp and not because Olivia's gaze is most likely fixated on her naked upper half.

She can sense those penetrating dark eyes boring into her body that is now riddled with goosebumps, Amanda stifling a gasp of agony when she realizes there is a large amount of moisture gathering between her legs. Thankful that she is at least wearing pants, she wonders frantically if she had forgotten to put on underwear as well, a whimper escaping her mouth. She doesn't know if the pathetic sound is due to arousal or mortification, and figures it's a mixture of the two, unable to decide if she wants Olivia to leave the room or lean over to cup her breasts and thumb her nipples.

Amanda knows that her boss will do no such thing, but that doesn't stop the fantasy from continuing, the erotically naughty images her brain is conjuring up and the increasing wetness from her core only worsening the already horrendous amount of embarrassment that is consuming her.

"Do you need some help?" Olivia's tone is gentle now, and surprisingly devoid of judgment or teasing, but there is an undercurrent of what sounds like desire that sets Amanda's heart racing.

Despite the friction between them over the past couple of years, Amanda has picked up on some possible sexual tension and crackling electricity from time to time, and wonders if Olivia feels anything for her beyond the annoyance of dealing with a subordinate who often doesn't meet her high standards. She has been nursing a crush on Olivia since well before joining SVU, continually pushing down the knowledge of that crush blooming into something far more serious, and desperately trying to ignore her burgeoning feelings.

"I'm stuck," Amanda moans plaintively, cringing at the whiny quality of her reply when she had been attempting to respond in a much more casual, mature way.

"Yes, I can see that," Olivia chuckles softly, the desire Amanda thought she had detected a moment ago tamped down by tenderness now. "That's why I offered to help. You're not having a very good day so far, are you?"

To Amanda's dismay, instead of laughing off the absurdity of her predicament and pretending she is unbothered by this disaster of a day, her lips quiver and her chin wobbles before she bursts into overwhelmed tears.

"Oh, honey. It's okay, I've got you."

Amanda feels her soggy shirt being tugged carefully over her head, relieved when she can finally pull her arms free of the clinging material but flustered when the stiff peaks of her nipples harden even further in the chilly air. The torturous combination of arousal and embarrassment continues to plague her, and she hunches her shoulders defensively and crosses her arms over her naked breasts.

Amanda's jaw drops open in surprise and gratitude as she watches Olivia remove her pinstriped blazer, revealing a plain white blouse underneath, before draping the garment across her back and pulling the sides together to cover her chest. She feels her sticky tangle of hair being released from the collar of the blazer and smoothed over her shoulders and down her back, her eyelids fluttering closed when Olivia repeats the gesture a few times, her hand gliding in comforting motions through her long, wet tresses.

"Thank you," Amanda eventually manages to mumble, aware of the bright red blush that has taken up residence on her tearstained face as Olivia sits down on the bench beside her.

"You're welcome," Olivia says quietly, Amanda's blush darkening when their gazes meet and hold intently. "I actually came in here to see if you were okay and to apologize for being so harsh when you arrived. It's been such a busy and stressful week with this case, but I didn't meant to take it out on you. I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay, Liv. I deserved it for being late again."

"You were only a few minutes late and I'm guessing it was for a good reason," the older woman assures her gently, Amanda's heart skipping a beat when she reaches out to brush a stray tear from her cheek. "Why don't you take a few minutes in here to get yourself together and then come join us in the squad room? I'm sorry I walked in on you during a private moment."

"Well, I'm glad you did." A hint of a grin pulls at the corner of Amanda's mouth, grateful for the rescue despite the humiliation. "Otherwise, I might have been stuck inside my shirt for the rest of the day."

Olivia smiles back, her beauty and compassion causing Amanda to blurt out her next words before thinking better of it. "And I didn't mind you looking."

The smile drops away from Olivia's face and her expression becomes unreadable, Amanda instantly regretting what she has said and chastising herself for being inappropriate, although thankful she had neglected to mention the fantasy of her boss touching her intimately.

"Rollins..." Olivia answers warningly, one eyebrow arching high on her forehead.

"Please call me Amanda." She knows she is pushing her luck and should not be having this conversation at all, especially not in the locker room at the precinct when she is only half-dressed and is so physically and emotionally vulnerable.

"Amanda." Her first name comes out in a weary sigh, but she still loves the way it sounds on Olivia's tongue.

She waits for the other woman to say more but Olivia falls silent after uttering her name, and Amanda feels a strange urge to keep pushing in spite of her regret. "And I don't think you minded looking either," she adds in a whisper, watching as both of Olivia's eyebrows shoot skyward before pulling together into a deep frown.

The brunette suddenly scoots away from her on the bench, the movement so abrupt that Amanda's violent flinch in response causes the blazer to slip off her shoulders and go sailing onto the floor. The hurt and rejection that envelops her at this simple action is so intense that she has to make a concerted effort not to burst into tears yet again, her lower lip trembling dangerously.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs uneasily, once more feeling frozen to her seat and terrified that she is going to be fired for telling the truth. "I shouldn't have said that."

When the uncomfortable silence lengthens between them, Olivia studiously avoiding her gaze and any other part of her body, Amanda's shoulders slump and her head droops in defeat, knowing she should lean over to pick up the blazer but unable to make herself move. Finally, Olivia seems to take pity on her, saving Amanda from her awkward nudity by crouching down to the ground and scooping the garment up.

The tears spill over once more as the older woman secures the material gently around her shoulders and gives her upper arms a tender squeeze, her thoughts whirling in a mass of confusion and frustration. Amanda begins swaying to the side in exhaustion and is leaning into Olivia's taller frame before she can stop herself, fully expecting her boss to dart away from her again but so desperate to be comforted.

She is stunned when Olivia wraps a strong arm around her shuddering frame instead of reprimanding her or trying to escape the situation, her eyes widening in anticipation when her sergeant speaks in a soft tone. "This isn't an appropriate time or place to be discussing this but we can talk about it later, if you want."

Amanda's head shoots up hopefully, her heart rate spiking as their gazes lock and she can see the depth of feeling simmering within those dark, expressive orbs now. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Olivia murmurs in reply, Amanda delighted that this day seems to be taking a turn for the better and inhaling sharply when the other woman presses a quick kiss to her forehead. "I think we have a lot to talk about."