The next morning, Olivia woke up to the smell of coffee wafting through the apartment. For a brief, blissful moment, she thought, Wow, Ellie's growing up so fast she's already brewing coffee. Then reality hit her like a truck: Fitz.
She groaned, threw on her robe, and trudged to the kitchen, already preparing a sarcastic barrage to unleash on him.
There he was, standing by the coffee maker, looking smug and far too chipper for someone who'd spent the night on her lumpy couch.
"Morning, sunshine!" Fitz greeted, holding up a mug of coffee like he'd just invented it.
"What are you doing in my kitchen?" Olivia demanded, ignoring the coffee because she refused to owe him anything, even caffeine.
"Making coffee," Fitz said. "Obviously."
"In my kitchen?"
"Well, it's either this or I run to a coffee shop and leave Ellie unattended. Which, fun fact, is frowned upon."
Olivia rolled her eyes and grabbed a mug, muttering, "I can't believe I let you stay the night."
"Don't act like it was a hardship," Fitz said, leaning casually against the counter. "You practically begged me to stay."
"I allowed you to stay because I didn't want a headline that read 'Irresponsible Man Killed by Wandering Raccoon,'" Olivia shot back. "Trust me, I regret it."
"Sure you do," Fitz said with a grin, sipping his coffee. "Just like you regret kissing me back last night."
Olivia froze mid-pour, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, you heard me," Fitz said, setting his mug down and stepping closer. "Don't act like you didn't enjoy it."
She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, Fitz leaned down and kissed her again—quick, playful, and completely unexpected.
"Fitz!" she shouted, pushing him away so hard he stumbled into the counter.
"What?" he said, laughing. "You were standing there looking all annoyed and cute. I couldn't help myself."
"You are annoying," Olivia snapped, her face burning.
"Yeah, but you're into it," Fitz said, smirking. "Admit it."
"The only thing I'm into right now is homicide," she said, glaring at him. "And you're the victim."
"Relax, Liv," Fitz said, holding his hands up defensively. "It's just a kiss. Nothing you haven't done before."
"Do it again, and you won't live to see another coffee," Olivia warned, her voice deadly serious.
"I like my odds," Fitz said with a wink, grabbing his coffee and strolling into the living room like he hadn't just made her entire morning a confusing mix of rage and something else she refused to acknowledge.
As she stood in the kitchen, trying to convince herself that she didn't secretly want him to do it again, Ellie toddled in, rubbing her eyes and looking far too innocent for someone who had Fitzgerald Grant DNA.
"Mommy," Ellie said sleepily, "Mad?"
"Yes, because your dad is impossible," Olivia replied.
Ellie thought about that for a moment, then nodded sagely. "Dad"
Olivia sighed, downed her coffee in one gulp, and braced herself for another day of Fitz-induced chaos.
Wow! Thanks for the favorites and follows!
Update: hi guys, I saw where someone said they couldn't read chapters 2-7, Is it like that for all of you?