Chapter 1: The Morning After:
Olivia Benson slowly stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she realized she wasn't in her own bed. Where the hell am I? Her gaze scanned the unfamiliar room, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw who was lying next to her. Nick Amaro. She quickly covered her mouth to stifle a gasp, flashes of the previous night flooding her mind. "Nick," she whispered, poking his chest.
"Liv, go back to sleep, it's too early," Nick mumbled groggily. She poked him harder, a little more forcefully this time. "Amaro, get your ass up now." Nick shot up, blinking at her in confusion, still half-asleep. "Why are you waking me up?"
Olivia's expression darkened. "Last night was a mistake." Nick flashed her a cocky grin. "Liv, you weren't saying that last night. Actually—" She immediately put a hand over his mouth to stop him. "I know what I said, but damn it, we're partners, Nick. This should not have happened. No matter how hot I think you are." Nick wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully. "So, you think I'm hot?" She shot him a sharp glare. "Not the point, Nick. The point is, I'm getting dressed, heading to work, and we're going to pretend this never happened. Understand?" Nick rolled his eyes but nodded, clearly resigned.
Olivia quickly gathered her clothes from where they were scattered across Nick's house, dressing as fast as she could. She grabbed a coffee before driving to the station, her mind racing as she drove to the station. "Olivia, you're an idiot," she muttered to herself. "Getting drunk and hooking up with a coworker..." What she didn't know, however, was that in a few weeks, she'd have a much bigger problem to face.
As Olivia walked into the station, she couldn't help but notice Nick already sitting at his desk. How the hell did he beat me here? she wondered, making her way to her own desk across from him. Fin, always quick to notice details, glanced at Olivia and raised an eyebrow. "Liv, how late did you stay out last night?" She shot him a look and smirked. "Fin, are you trying to figure out if I had amazing sex last night? Because if that's what you're after, you're going to be sorely disappointed. And I'll kick your ass if you keep asking." Fin burst out laughing, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "Damn, girl, you play hard. I like it."
She was about to respond when Cragen entered, handing out their assignments. Naturally, Liv was paired with Nick. He flashed her a smile, and she nodded back, trying to keep things casual. "Let's go to the hospital to see the victim. You want to drive, or should I?" she asked. Without hesitation, Nick grabbed the keys from her hand. "I'll drive."
The car ride was quiet, the tension thick between them. Finally, Nick broke the silence. "Look, Liv, I know you said to pretend it never happened, but you have to admit, it was more than just a one-night stand." She turned towards the window, pretending his words hadn't hit her. She couldn't be falling for another partner. "Nick," she said, her voice steady but not quite convincing, "it was just sex, nothing more. You and I are partners. We need to focus on work." Nick heard the doubt in her voice but chose not to press her further. He knew she was lying, though whether to herself or him, he wasn't sure. But one thing was clear—if he pushed too hard, too fast, he'd never get a chance with her.
Over the next few weeks, they worked seamlessly on each case that came their way, even the high-pressure ones. It was as if they operated as one unit. Olivia, ever the professional, pushed the memory of their one-night hookup deep into the recesses of her mind, while Nick, careful not to push her away, kept their relationship strictly professional. Neither of them realized the other couldn't stop thinking about that night and secretly longed for it to happen again. Cragen, noticing their flawless partnership, was impressed by their dynamic. But when he received a call about a case that would change everything for them, he had no idea just how much it would affect their relationship.
"Amaro, Benson, my office. Now." Cragen's voice rang out sharply. Olivia and Nick exchanged puzzled glances, and Nick leaned in to whisper, "What did we do?" She gave him a sideways look and teased, "Obviously, we did something bad, Detective. Why else would we be called to the principal's office?" He grinned and replied, "You know I'll blame you." Olivia shot him a playful smile. "Actually, that's one of the smartest things you've said lately. You know Cragen loves me best." She stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh. The moment passed, and they quickly straightened up, nerves setting in as they sat down in front of Cragen.
He looked at them and said, "So we have a case and I really need the two of you to help." They looked at him in a way that said, 'Well yeah that's our job" Cragen continued, "There is a supposed underage sex ring trafficking young girls in a suburban neighborhood. What I need is for you two to go undercover as a married couple and scope out the neighborhood and gather all the information you can get."
Olivia sat there, frozen for a moment, the thought of living with Nick and pretending to be married hitting her hard. This is just great, she thought bitterly. But she quickly masked her discomfort, putting on her most professional face. "Whatever you need, Captain, we can do it," she said. Nick felt the nervous tension bubbling between them. He knew that being so close, so intimate, would only make things worse. Something was bound to happen. But he nodded in agreement, saying, "Yeah, Captain, we can catch these guys." Cragen smiled and slid a file toward each of them. "Go home, study these, and then meet at the undercover house tomorrow at 9 a.m."
Both of them left, their minds racing. How am I going to do this? they thought to themselves.