Title: Misery Loves Company

Genre: Hurt/comfort/romance

Rating: T

When Olivia steps through the door into her quiet apartment late on Saturday evening, she can't remember the last time she has felt so relieved to be at home. The near-silence of the place is very unusual and a testament to just how late it actually is; no pitter-patter of tiny feet scurrying across the floor, no welcome-home kiss from her girlfriend, and not even a greeting from her favorite canine companion.

Olivia despises working weekends, as it takes her away from her family; the job separating her from the people she loves the most for such long periods of time, but knows that it is a necessary evil. She is completely exhausted and depleted after a very busy day that has repeatedly tried her patience and forced her to remember yet again how truly vicious and depraved some members of society are.

She can hear the TV playing on a low volume in the living room as she tiptoes further into the apartment, rounding the corner to see Amanda stretched across the couch and laying flat out on her stomach. Her girlfriend looks utterly pitiful, long blonde hair splayed out around a face that is pushed deeply into the cushions and one arm hanging limply over the edge of the sofa with the remote clutched in her hand. Frannie is sprawled on the floor below her, the dog snoring softly as she slumbers and all four of her furry legs moving in a circular motion, like she is dreaming of chasing after a ball or a squirrel or perhaps even riding a bicycle.

"What's wrong, baby?" Olivia asks in concern, stepping carefully over Frannie's prone body and dropping down to her knees to press a kiss to Amanda's warm forehead when the younger woman peeks up at her. "You look miserable. Are you not feeling well? Did the kids run you ragged today?"

She is met with tired blue eyes and flushed pink cheeks as Amanda blinks sleepily at her, golden locks fluffed wildly around her shoulders. "I'm fine," the detective mumbles unconvincingly, curling her knees into her chest and wrapping an arm around her shins.

"Amanda, remember what we've discussed multiple times now?" Olivia chides gently, scratching her fingernails lightly against the smaller woman's scalp. "We don't need to pretend with each other. If something is wrong, it's okay to admit it and talk about it. You don't need to be strong with me."

"My leg hurts," Amanda murmurs in what sounds like a somewhat shamed tone, inclining her head toward the limb she had injured in the field several weeks prior and the scar from the stitches becoming visible as her pajama pants ride up her calf. "I just started my period. And I'm pretty sure I caught a cold from that suspect who sneezed on me earlier this week." There is a brief pause, Amanda's voice sounding even more shamed as it cracks slightly when she speaks again. "And I think I might actually start crying because I feel so terrible."

"Aww, honey." Olivia leans over to place another tender kiss on Amanda's forehead, her heart aching with sympathy and love. "You can cry, if you want to. It's okay to cry with me."

"I don't want to act like a baby after you've been working hard all day," Amanda argues softly as Olivia rubs soothing patterns across her back and watches the other woman blinking back tears. "You're supposed to be coming home to your competent and sexy girlfriend, not some blubbering mess on the couch who can't pull herself together when things get a little bit rough and the hormones are spiraling out of control."

There is a noticeable hitch in the detective's breathing when she pauses again before continuing. "The kids have been running wild all day, I burned our dinner and spilled Frannie's dog food all over the floor, and I haven't even changed out of my pajamas." Amanda plucks at the material of her flannel striped shirt with disdain, a streak of what appears to be spaghetti sauce visible on the sleeve. "These are the same pair I was wearing when you left this morning."

"Sweetheart, you're not incompetent just because you've had a bad day," Olivia assures her quietly, kissing a stray tear that breaks free from Amanda's long lashes and trails a wet pathway down her cheek. "And you are always sexy to me, no matter what you're wearing or how you choose to style your hair."

She is entirely serious with that statement, Amanda's appearance never failing to make her heart race out of control every time she so much as glances at the smaller woman, and she ruffles the mass of blonde waves sitting atop her girlfriend's head with teasing affection. "Although I will say that this mop of hair is starting to resemble some kind of nest."

Olivia chuckles when Amanda sticks her tongue out and crosses her eyes in return, the younger woman reaching over to give her a light shove. "Well, that's a mature response," she says with a smirk, running her fingertips lightly back and forth along the scar on Amanda's leg and inducing a shiver from the younger woman in response. "So your entire body is feeling pretty uncomfortable right now, huh?"

Amanda nods mournfully, her delicate features pinched with emotion once again, and Olivia carefully turns the slender figure over on the cushions so she is lying on her back before sliding her arms beneath the warm body to pick her up. Just as she suspected would happen, Amanda begins protesting immediately when Olivia sits down on the couch with the detective cradled in her lap, and holds fast to the squirming form to prevent her from making an escape.

"Liv, I'm trying not to act like a baby here," Amanda complains with a sigh, but settles down quite quickly by sinking into Olivia's embrace as she begins rocking her from side to side. "There are already enough kids in this house to take care of, including the furry one snoozing on the floor," she adds wearily, jerking a thumb in Frannie's direction as the dog lets out a loud snort in her sleep and rolls over with a thump. "You're not helping the situation here."

"Shhh," Olivia soothes quietly into Amanda's ear, brushing another kiss against her forehead. "Just let me do this for you. It breaks my heart to see my future wife in such misery."

Her comment induces a fatigued grin, Amanda's head lolling back on Olivia's shoulder so they are looking one another in the eye and sharing tender smiles. This particular topic is something that is brought up on a regular basis in their conversations now, ever since Amanda's drug-induced declarations of marriage after she had been injured in the field. It is always talked about in a somewhat teasing and lighthearted manner, the subject casually thrown into any type of discussion by one of them when they have the desire to make the other smile, but Olivia has found herself becoming much more serious about it as time goes on.

Her brain has been whirling constantly with private thoughts and plans, concocting elaborate proposals of marriage in her mind before discarding them and starting from scratch, unsure of exactly how to proceed with things from here. All Olivia knows is that the small woman currently slumped in a dejected ball in her lap, this blonde detective who is equal parts tough and vulnerable, is all she wants for the rest of her life; Amanda and their children, including the furry one sprawled across the floor, continuing to share their lives together in a more permanent way.

She slips her hand underneath Amanda's pajama shirt, knowing the younger woman likes to have her stomach rubbed when she is cramping or nauseated, and listens to the pleased sound that emits from pink parted lips as she strokes her fingers over tense muscles. Olivia leans down to place her mouth against those enticing lips, Amanda returning the gesture with as much energy as she can muster, and they kiss languidly for a few minutes before Amanda tilts her head back so they are gazing at one another again.

"How was work?" she asks tiredly as a small hand lifts to graze lightly along Olivia's cheekbone.

"It wasn't great," Olivia admits softly, turning her head to kiss Amanda's fingertips. "But we don't have to talk about that right now. I just want you to get some rest and let me take care of you."

"Liv, you're the one who should be resting and I should be taking care of you," Amanda corrects instantly, her eyelids fluttering closed as Olivia peppers more tiny kisses along her palm and up her arm while working her way back to Amanda's mouth. "And you're going to catch my cold if you keep kissing me like that. I don't want you to be as miserable as I am."

"Misery loves company," Olivia answers with a shrug and a smile, gathering Amanda closer to her as she deepens the kiss and her mind races with thoughts of their future together.