Hey everyone!

I appreciate all the support on this story, as always. You guys have been so awesome! I had to take a little break from writing but here I am, back again!

Enjoy xo

Someone New - Fifteen

The next week passed in the most blissful blur.

Though Olivia and Jalen hadn't put a label on things yet, it was clear that things had very much taken another shift since their first date and subsequent kiss. Of course, they were texting each other throughout each day as per usual, the messages were very flirty and silly, often leading both of them to be smiling at their phones. For Olivia in particular, she was finding it difficult to stay focused in various meetings throughout the week, as she was often zoning out and thinking about being wrapped up in Jalen's arms or kissing him again. Though the busy work week prevented them from seeing each other, at least they could talk and of course, she had the weekend to see him as they were going to Noah's dance recital on Friday and then a baseball game on Saturday.

Thankfully Friday came around with little to no incidents, which meant that Olivia could get off work at a decent time. She made it home and let her sitter go, then she and Noah had a quick snack since Noah never wanted to eat something heavy before a dance recital. By five-thirty, they were all prepared to leave the house; Noah in his outfit for the late spring/early summer themed dance recital, and Olivia had changed into a pair of jeans and a fitted v-neck which she would team with a thin sweater to wear inside the theater.

Noah had run off to get his shoes and bag when there was a knock at the door. Olivia quickly rushed to get it, smiling when she checked the peephole and saw who was on the other side. She tugged it open in an instant, revealing a handsome Jalen who looked very relaxed in his black slacks from work and a crisp white shirt with a couple buttons undone. He'd obviously come straight from work but had obviously removed his tie and blazer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to be late, so I just came straight from work since we didn't get cut loose until literally twenty minutes ago." He chuckled as he stepped inside.

"It's okay, you still look good." Olivia smirked as she locked up. Jalen chuckled and slipped his arms around her for a hug, to which Olivia instantly reciprocated as she stood on her toes with her arms around his neck. Jalen pressed a light kiss to her skin as he whispered, "I've missed you this week."

Olivia had been just about to respond when they were both interrupted; "Hey Jae, you came over!"

The two immediately pulled apart; Noah was back with his shoes on and his dance bag and was smiling at them both. Jalen unraveled his arms from around Olivia and instantly did the handshake with Noah; "Hey buddy, told you I wouldn't miss your recital."

"I'm glad, and I hope you enjoy it too…" Noah grinned happily before looking at Olivia; "I'm ready."

"Let's roll kid." Olivia grabbed her keys and purse, and before long the three of them were heading out of the door. Noah had seen them hugging but was clearly not fazed by it; a clear indication that he really was fine with this whole thing between them. Olivia had talked to him earlier in the week about the date and all sorts, and he had been very excited it seemed but Olivia - in the back of her mind - was worried that this might be too much. Clearly, he really was fine, considering even now as they headed outside to her car, he and Jalen were discussing the theme for his recital and he was explaining things to Jalen, who continued to listen intently. Before long, they were all settled in the car and on the road to the theater where the dance recital was being held.

They arrived within ten minutes and headed straight inside, and after a quick hug to Olivia and Jalen, Noah was headed off to the backstage area to meet up with his dance group. Olivia and Jalen gave their tickets to the attendant before heading inside the auditorium, where they saw a ton of other patrons already filling the seats of the beautiful space. The stage was already decorated in a beautiful spring/summer theme with bright colors and floral elements, and there was music playing softly in the background while people were mingling before the show.

The two snagged a couple seats in the middle section but near the back so they were able to see the stage. Once they sat down, Olivia reached over and took Jalen's hand, capturing his attention. He gave her a smile which she returned as she spoke; "It really was nice of you to come, and I know it means a lot to Noah."

"I had no intention of missing this; trust me, I've been praying all day that nothing would pop up and I flew outta the precinct when Lieu turned us loose," he chuckled. "I look forward to seeing dude in his element. He's so passionate about this; I noticed when he was talking."

"He really is so so passionate about it, and it's the most beautiful thing. He's been doing this a few years now and I remember when he first asked me about it, I think he thought I'd say no," Olivia shrugged as she glanced at the stage then back at Jalen; "I just want my kid to be happy and to express himself however, and he's really found his tribe with this. It's beautiful."

Jalen was gazing at her with the most beautiful look on his face as he took in her words. He found himself briefly looking around before leaning towards her as he whispered; "You are one hell of a mother, you know that?"

Olivia bit her lip; "I try to be."

"You do, and I really like that about you…among other things, of course," he then leaned all the way in, briefly pressing his lips to hers for a quick kiss before pulling back; "You're amazing."

Olivia felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She squeezed his hand just a little tighter and was still gazing at him as she whispered; "You're pretty amazing too."

The dance recital had been perfect from start to finish, and Jalen was certainly glad he had gotten to witness this.

The first group of dancers were some older kids that were more so in high school age range, and they performed a beautiful number with bright vibrant colors around them and great music. Noah's group, however, performed after the brief intermission as they would be finishing out the remainder of the show. Of course, Noah and his group performed just as amazing as the first group; every step being perfectly in sync with one another, in time with the music. Their performance went down without a hitch, and Jalen found himself - along with Olivia and other guests in the theater - cheering for the group as if he were also a proud parent.

After the show concluded, guests spilled into the lobby of the theater to wait for their kids. Olivia spoke to a couple other moms and dads that she knew as their kids were also in Noah's group. It wasn't long, however, before Noah came flying around the corner with one of his friends that was also in his group, a girl named Leah. The two made their way over, and Leah quickly spoke to Olivia with a polite; "Hi Miss Benson" before giving Noah a quick hug and rushing off to find her parents. Noah grinned happily at both Olivia and Jalen as he spoke; "How was it?"

"You were so great, honey; I'm so proud of you." Olivia grinned as she gave him a hug. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, then moved so he could hug Jalen as well. Jalen gave him a squeeze as he remarked; "It was amazing, buddy; thanks for inviting me, it was cool to see."

"I'm glad you guys liked it!" Noah replied as the three of them began making their way towards the exit. He nudged Olivia as he continued; "Did you take some video to send to Lucy? She wanted to see it!"

"I sure did; I'll send it to her when we get home." Olivia replied. The three of them headed outside to the car along with the throng of other people that were also dispersing to their cars. They soon had joined the line of traffic that was leaving the venue as well, all while discussing plans to go get some food as they were all pretty much starving, especially Noah.

It was a good twenty minutes later when they found themselves back in the Benson apartment with bags of food from the nearby burger spot that was a favorite for Olivia and Noah. Noah immediately went down to his room to change out of his dance attire, while Jalen and Olivia settled around the kitchen table with the food and drinks, they'd gotten.

"He was so happy about you coming tonight, I could tell," Olivia spoke quietly as she and Jalen washed their hands so they could eat; "I know I said it before, but it seriously was so nice of you, and I know it made his night."

"It was really cool, so I'm glad I could come support him as well." Jalen responded as he quickly dried his hands on a towel. He then placed his hand on her back as he continued; "Now, are you coming to the game with us tomorrow?"

"As long as you don't hate me for asking a million and one questions."

"I could never hate you, trust me," he then slipped his other arm around her torso as she turned to him; "Also since we're talking, when can I take you on a real second date?"

Olivia pretended to think for a second before smirking as she stretched her arms up around his neck; "Well, I am hoping for next weekend if work doesn't ruin our lives."

"Deal," Jalen grinned as he rubbed his hands against her lower back; "Can I take you to an art show?"

"I love an art show, so yes."

"Cool." Jalen smirked before leaning in for a kiss. Olivia immediately reciprocated the kiss, briefly brushing her fingers against the back of his neck before pulling away. The two shared a quick smile before moving to sit at the table just Noah came flying around the corner - having freshened up from the recital and changed into some cozy sweatpants and a shirt. The three of them tucked into their food while chatting away; Noah was excitedly discussing his favorite parts of his dance recital tonight and some upcoming recitals that would be happening throughout the remainder of the year. It warmed Olivia's heart to see how happy and excited he was about this, but perhaps what warmed her heart even more was how interested Jalen was as he asked Noah some follow up questions and told him that he'd love to see his recitals again.

After dinner, Noah and Jalen cleared the table before Noah then announced that he was going to play an online game with his half-brother for a bit, under the condition of course that he'd only play for about an hour or so. He then disappeared down the hall while Jalen and Olivia retreated to the living room, where they tucked up on the couch together and began watching some random show while chatting quietly. They were refraining from making out like they really wanted to just in case Noah came flying back into the living room, but Olivia was tucked underneath Jalen's arm with her head resting against his shoulder.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit before Olivia then looked up at him; "I know we established this earlier, but I really did miss you this week. I thought about popping up at the two-seven but I couldn't think of a reason."

Jalen let out a laugh as he squeezed her just a little tighter. "I won't lie, I thought about doing the same, but I had no good reason to come to SVU…" he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then continued; "How was your day by the way?"

"It was a very easy Friday, thankfully," Olivia responded; "I had a meeting with the chief this morning, signed off on some case files throughout the day and followed up on some other cases. The pile of paperwork on my desk is finally manageable, but there's also two files in my bag that I need to flick through this weekend before a meeting with a victim's family on Monday."

"The Captain's job is never done, is it?"

"Never," Olivia whined with a roll of her eyes, then she looked up again; "Anyway how was your day? I heard you guys have been ripping and running all week."

"All damn week, man; it's been something," he groaned as he leaned back on the couch a little; "Trial prep and visiting with victims' families and chasing leads for the five million open cases we have." He then looked over at her; "See why I came straight over in my work clothes today? That's how crazy things have been."

"I don't miss being a detective, at all…" Olivia teased. She then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek before rubbing her fingers over the back of his neck; "I hope you know that the work you do is greatly appreciated, and of course me and Noah appreciate you still making time for us. We really would've understood if you were too tired, especially after this week."

"Nah, me missing out on tonight was not an option in my eyes…" he then looked over at her, his face having taken on a slightly more serious expression as he continued; "I hope you know though that even though this could be tricky because of our jobs and schedules, I really am serious about exploring this between us and hopefully making it all work."

Olivia had to pause for a second to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Though she already knew this, it warmed her heart to hear him say that with conviction again. She so desperately wanted to continue to explore things with him and see what could come of it, to see whether it really could all work out. It would be hard with their jobs of course considering they worked in perhaps two of the most grueling units within the NYPD, but they were determined to make it work no matter how much effort it took.

"I really do want to keep exploring this too, because I really like you and I trust you already…" she then sat up properly, turning to face him with her legs curled under her; "I know I'm the queen of self-sabotage, but I promise I won't use work as an excuse to let this go."

"As if you'll be able to get rid of me anyway." Jalen teased as he playfully brushed some of her hair back. Olivia playfully hit his shoulder before moving closer, wrapping her arms around his neck for a hug. Jalen slipped his arms around her as well and pressed a kiss to her temple before whispering;

"We will make this work, Olivia; I know we will."

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