This was originally posted as chapter 4 of the "Short & Sweet" series on and takes place between seasons 18 and 19. I'm on a "Short & Sweet" kick right now but will try to post something different soon.
"Short & Sweet" was a series of mostly standalone one-shots (but sometimes a storyline would stretch out for a few chapters).
I was going to repost a much longer story than this, but I wasn't able to do so for a couple of different reasons, so I'll try again soon.
Olivia Benson shifts uneasily in her plush movie theater seat, unable to find a position that is comfortable enough to settle into and appreciate the romantic comedy that has just begun playing on the giant screen in front of her. It's Friday night and the room is jam-packed with fellow New Yorkers ready to enjoy the weekend after a long week of work, the smell of freshly buttered popcorn drifting through the air and the din of conversation winding down to a few scattered whispers and giggles as the characters on screen start speaking.
Amanda Rollins is perched on the chair beside her, the armrest pulled up between them and the seats reclined so they are lying back at a leisurely and cozy angle, a light blanket spread out across both of their laps. This theater has recently been upgraded and is now geared toward adults, re-opening a few weeks ago and sparing no expense, and they have been delighting in all of the fancy new options available to them, including the large glasses of wine they are currently sipping on. A big bucket of flavored popcorn rests on the blanket between them and every so often, Amanda's fingers brush up against her own when they both reach for the salty snack at the same time.
Despite the relaxed atmosphere of the establishment, another long and busy work week thankfully behind them, and already feeling a little buzzed from the alcohol, Olivia is finding that she is unable to loosen up and unwind, and the reason for that is the woman sitting next her. Every time she sneaks a glance over at Amanda, the detective is staring right back at her with a mischievous smile playing at the corners of her lips, blue eyes twinkling with mirth and the effects of her wine, along with something else; something deeper and desirous, a lustful expression that promises the evening will not be ending when the movie is done.
After dancing back and forth with each other for longer than Olivia can remember, they had finally decided to officially start dating a month prior when Amanda had been the one to work up enough courage to ask her out. They have been keeping their relationship a secret from everyone, even Fin and Carisi, although Olivia suspects that both men know exactly what is going on and are just too tactful to bring it up. Between their busy and demanding jobs as lieutenant and detective, and raising young children without the help of a spouse or partner, it doesn't leave much time to be alone or to partake in many adult activities.
Noah and Jesse are at home with babysitters tonight, and Olivia is both nervous and excited at the prospect of spending an entire evening with Amanda, the anticipation of what is to come causing the sensation of butterflies inside her stomach. Aside from the occasional heated make-out session in the privacy of Olivia's office and the wandering of fingers underneath clothing when they actually have a moment to themselves, the physical part of their relationship has been practically non-existent for the past few weeks, never having the opportunity to get much past the starting line.
Olivia can feel it stirring deep within her gut even while they are surrounded by all of these people; the intense need to be with Amanda in an intimate way obliterating absolutely everything else in her mind, and she is painfully aware that her libido seems to have risen from the dead, the feelings she has for the blonde woman awakening something buried inside of her that has been lying dormant for years now. Amanda has apparently been feeling the same way, as the small detective's fingers keep tiptoeing past the bucket of popcorn and into Olivia's lap, and she curses the fact that they are in this damn public theater instead of somewhere private, those feelings that are simmering steadily inside of her threatening to explode if they aren't taken care of very soon. She forgets which one of them had the stupid idea to come here instead of ensconcing themselves someplace where they could be alone, like a nice hotel room, and Olivia rolls her eyes when she realizes that she needs to keep herself under control for another two hours.
Amanda is looking extremely enticing this evening, taking great care with her appearance before going out; long golden hair curling softly around her shoulders and the color of her short summer dress perfectly matching her big blue eyes, Olivia wondering why the detective had chosen to wear a dress to the movie theater, as it can't be very comfortable to sit in for any length of time. As if the other woman is reading her mind, Amanda suddenly taps her on the knee and motions for her to lean closer when Olivia throws her a questioning look.
"Guess what?" Amanda whispers seductively into her ear, the silky tone of her voice causing a shiver to race down Olivia's spine.
"What?" she whispers back, aware that her own voice is catching in her throat and cracking nervously as she speaks.
Amanda smirks suggestively at her, like she is immensely enjoying the affect she is having on her boss, and places her lips next to Olivia's ear. "I have a surprise for you."
Olivia merely raises her eyebrows in response and chooses not to respond verbally, as the sound blaring from the speakers increases in volume and she doesn't want to give Amanda the satisfaction of knowing that merely sitting this close and having the detective whisper in her ear is causing her to become completely undone. She can feel tiny beads of moisture forming along her hairline as her heart rate picks up speed inside her chest and her panties begin to dampen uncomfortably, but Olivia decides that she is going to play it cool and keep her reputation as a calm, stern lieutenant intact.
She shrugs nonchalantly and cups a hand around her ear to indicate that not only is she is having trouble hearing Amanda's voice but she is not at all intrigued about what the surprise could possibly be, and Amanda smirks again, her broadening grin making it clear that she doesn't believe Olivia's casual indifference for a second. The detective's eyebrow is arched playfully as she crooks a small finger in Olivia's direction, beckoning for her to lean in even closer, and Olivia's stomach muscles clench tightly when she feels the pad of a thumb circling slowly and repeatedly around her kneecap before venturing higher up her leg.
She grits her teeth slightly and wishes they were anywhere but here, shifting over on the seat so that her body is pressed up snugly against Amanda's and they are now sitting shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh. Amanda's lips are hovering right next to Olivia's ear, the detective's sweet breath puffing onto the overheated skin of her neck, and Olivia's limbs give an abrupt jolt when she feels a hot tongue swipe briefly across the shell of her ear before Amanda speaks again.
"Don't you want to know what the surprise is?" the younger woman murmurs in a low, sultry tone, and Olivia has to suppress another shiver as she shrugs lightly once more.
"I'm trying to watch the movie," she mutters back, inclining her head toward the screen where two women with long blonde hair and bronze tans who are clad only in their underwear are engaging in a somewhat erotic pillow fight, and she stifles a sigh as this scene is definitely not helping matters.
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I ruining the movie-going experience for you?" Amanda asks innocently, and Olivia's eyelids flutter closed as she feels two slim fingers walking teasingly up her thigh.
"No, but you might be ruining it for other people," Olivia replies softly, her point instantly made as she hears the sound of a someone clearing their throat loudly behind them, the irritation and impatience obvious. "People paid a lot of money to be here tonight and probably don't want to listen to you talk through the whole film."
"Always a stickler for the rules, aren't you, Liv?" Amanda snickers quietly, and Olivia feels the other woman take ahold of her hand beneath the blanket. "Okay, how about I stop talking and just show you what the surprise is? You can feel it for yourself."
Olivia's heart is suddenly pounding wildly in her chest as Amanda encircles her trembling fingers with her own steady digits and guides Olivia's hand deeper under the blanket, coming to a stop on warm skin that is smooth as satin. Her breath catches sharply in her throat when realizes that Amanda's legs are spread and her fingers are resting on the smaller woman's inner thigh, her knuckles brushing against the soft material of the blue dress that is bunched up much higher than it should be and an enticing heat emanating from close by.
The racing of Olivia's heart cannot be contained when she understands what her surprise is; that Amanda had apparently decided to forgo panties when she had chosen her outfit for the evening and is entirely bare beneath the short dress she is wearing. Olivia tries to gulp down the large lump that seems to have taken up residence inside of her throat and immediately stills her fingers, making sure they don't move even an inch in any direction.
She can hear Amanda's breathy giggle right beside her, the smaller woman laying her head upon Olivia's shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist, the two of them snuggling up together just like a lot of other couples in the theater are doing, aside from the fact that Olivia's fingers are resting extremely close to her date's unclothed core. She knows that if she stretches the digits out even the slightest amount, they will be brushing against an area she has never touched before, and Olivia has never felt so conflicted in her entire life. As the respected lieutenant of the Special Victims Unit, she shouldn't even be contemplating doing something like this in a public place and inwardly curses Amanda for putting her in this awkward position, the annoyance and amusement and arousal mixing together in a confusing swirl of emotions.
She can feel the pad of Amanda's thumb brushing softly up and down her ribcage and is aware that the younger woman's legs have fallen open even further in a deliciously inviting manner, Olivia's fingers flexing the tiniest bit in response before she can stop them. They encounter an alluringly damp heat at the inner crease of Amanda's thigh and Olivia blows out a quick breath as she runs the tip of one finger slowly back and forth along the burning hot skin, the digit seemingly having a mind of its own.
She hears a soft intake of breath beside her and feels the toned arm around her waist tightening ever so slightly, but other than that, Amanda gives no indication that she is paying much attention to anything Olivia is doing, the detective apparently deciding to be on her best behavior now that her girlfriend has received her surprise. She squeezes her eyes shut, knowing full well that what they are doing is extremely inappropriate and there will be hell to pay if they are caught, but against her better judgment Olivia lets a bent finger begin gliding upwards, waiting for her knuckle to trail gently between heated folds and expecting to encounter a sticky pool of wetness at any second.
The anticipation of what is to come; the thrill of doing something that she knows is so terribly wrong but feels so incredibly right, is overtaking every single shred of the common sense that Olivia prides herself in, and just as she is reaching her goal, the glass of wine that is perched on the tiny table next to her seat and the likely culprit of this undignified behavior, is suddenly knocked to the floor with a loud shattering of glass.
"Shit, sorry about that," the large man sitting on the other side of the table whispers apologetically, shifting in his seat and rubbing his elbow. "Do you want me to get someone to clean that up?"
Olivia is too stunned to react for a moment, her breath catching in her throat and her heart ceasing to beat inside her chest as her fingers freeze between Amanda's legs, her knuckle just grazing the tip of a soaked clit peeking out from beneath its hood. She is aware of the other woman leaning over her prone, terror-stricken body to speak to their fellow movie-goer, her voice smooth as honey and her demeanor calm as can be, one hand drifting below the blanket to swiftly pull Olivia's fingers away from her slick core.
"No, that's okay, we'll get someone on our way out," Amanda explains in a low, easygoing tone, and Olivia can see the detective's lip turned up ever so slightly at one corner. "We were just leaving, anyway. What a boring movie, huh?"
"Boring?" the man repeats in an incredulous voice, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "This is the funniest movie I've ever seen!"
"Oh, really? Well, I guess I just haven't been paying much attention," Amanda replies innocently as she glances at Olivia with a perfectly straight face, and laughter crescendos around them in response to something amusing that has just taken place on the screen.
When they make it out to the lobby, Olivia's legs noticeably shaking and her knees practically knocking together as her body tries to come down from the shock of almost getting caught, Amanda flags down an usher to inform him of the mess in theater three, before turning toward Olivia and holding out a hand with a flirtatious smile gracing her lips and a merry twinkle shining in her eye.
"Since you didn't get to enjoy your surprise, how about we go somewhere a little more private so you can finish what you started?" Amanda suggests lightly, arching an inviting eyebrow at her and linking their fingers together before giving them a squeeze. "I'm so wet, Liv."
"Uh, yeah...sure...that would be good..." Olivia stammers out in reply, the disbelief and excitement of the situation slowly dissipating but that annoyance and arousal still at war with one another, the rollercoaster of emotions making her head spin as she lets the younger woman pull her toward the nearest exit.
This heart-stopping encounter is most likely just a preview of what is to come in their relationship, and Olivia figures she better fasten her seatbelt because she is in for one hell of a wild ride.