Chapter Text
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Olivia, as nonchalant as the day he met her, walked back to the office without a care in the world. Elliot follows closely, his eyes sharp at the sight of the woman who had just practically obstructed his free will by making a false relationship confession in front of some of the highest ranking executives in the company just to save her ass.
He knew she’d do just about anything for a job she had worked hard to achieve, but he couldn’t believe that she would reach a level where she’s willing to compromise another person’s private life.
The silence was too deafening, and Elliot, who demanded an explanation, had finally reached the end of his tether.
“Are we going to talk about that?” Elliot asked, wanting answers, his tone firm but cautious. He’s walking quicker and heavier than his usual pace.
Olivia, still mighty and unshaken, strode across the hallways, ignoring him, so Elliot had to grab her arm to catch her attention. He had no idea where the confidence sprang from, but he’s not about to be dragged into this mess by his devilish boss.
She slowly turned her head, her deadpan eyes glaring at Elliot’s hand which was gripping her arm, not tight but firm enough. “Let go, Elliot,” she ordered.
For the first time after years of working for her, putting up with her for as long as he could remember– Elliot felt a newfound sense of defiance against Olivia. “You dragged me into a personal matter. We’re talking about it.”
Realizing that Elliot wouldn’t let her go, she forcefully pulled her arm away and smoothed the sleeve after. Elliot’s mouth fell open at the display of nonchalance.
“We’ll talk about it after dropping by the immigration office,” she calmly suggested, making the knot on Elliot’s eyebrows tighten much more.
He could not understand to what extent Olivia’s devilish schemes could extend to. Obviously, his opinion doesn’t matter because for all he knows, she had already planned everything until the end of it, and just the thought of that is making him sick to his stomach.
Olivia glanced at her phone, checking the time. “Speaking of, we’d better go.” She walked ahead, and from the tone of her voice, he knew he had no choice but to follow suit.
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They sat in an office, patiently waiting for the immigration officer who’s assigned to their case. The room was quiet, save from the sound of phones ringing and people chattering outside.
Though the air was cold inside the building, Elliot was sweating under his long sleeves and coat. Just the thought of straight up lying to a law officer makes him uneasy.
His legs have been restless since they arrived, shaking and tapping and kicking. His hands were fidgeting on his lap, as well– picking on the cuticles of his neatly kept nails. He kept glancing at the door with dread in his eyes as if a judge would enter and punish him with a death sentence.
Safe to say, Elliot is a rule abider and situations like this makes him terribly uncomfortable. He can’t even lie to save his life, and now, he’s defying the laws himself.
Olivia, on the other hand, is calmly going through her phone, like she was sitting at the airport, waiting for boarding. She was too calm, it made Elliot much more nervous.
Once she was done with her phone, she slid it inside her handbag and lifted her head to face the rest of the room, her hands clasped over her lower abdomen. She never looked unfazed, not one bit.
He glanced at her, frustration evident on his face. “You’re crazy,” he muttered underneath his breath.
She heard it, and instantly snapped her head towards his direction, eyes sharp. “I heard you.”
“I intended for you to,” he said, glancing the other way.
She shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep her cool despite the fact that her assistant’s probably cursing the hell out of her in his mind. It didn’t bother her. Other people have done worse.
But she was caught up in a situation, and he was the only one there whom she’d trust that won’t reveal her or let her down. She has proven his loyalty more times than she could count on her fingers, and having him in that exact moment meant that he was her only choice.
The tension between them was palpable– walls that refused to be broken down, and it would stay that way until they managed to find a way out or through the situation.
In the midst of the silence, the door swung open, and in came a man looking like in his late 40s, all dressed up in formal attire, heading straight to the swivel chair behind the desk.
“Sorry to keep you waiting uhm…” He glanced at the folder he’s holding which contained the forms that Olivia submitted. “Miss Olivia Benson and Mister Elliot Stabler?”
Elliot could feel his heart wanting to jump out of his ribcage upon hearing the mention of his name.
He was done.
“Yes, that’s us,” Olivia confidently confirmed with a practiced smile.
The immigration officer leaned back on his seat, forearms laid on the arm rest, switching discreet conspiratorial gazes between the two. “So, you’re filing for a fiancée visa, Miss Benson?”
She kept her composure, nodding steadily. “I am. You know, can’t wait to–” She glanced at Elliot, placing a hand on his forearm in an attempt to display affection. “Can’t wait to marry this one.”
Elliot threw a glance at her hand, then averted his gaze back to the officer with a constipated smile. “Can’t wait.”
His stomach’s turning upside down, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was going through every emotion possible for a human being.
The officer narrowed his eyes then leaned forward, folding his arms on top of the table. “Hmm, just one question. Are you or are you not committing marriage fraud to avoid Miss Benson’s deportation back to Italy?”
Olivia’s eyes widened ever so slightly but were quick to recover, flashing a composed expression. “Wha– fraud? No.” She shook her head, laughing nervously.
“Nothing like that,” Elliot followed despite his legs shaking non stop.
“Filing a fiancée visa on such perfect timing, hmm?” the officer asked sarcastically, trying to nudge the truth out of the two.
Olivia rubbed her forehead, chuckling lightly. “See, we’ve become so busy with wedding planning– I didn’t realize my visa was expiring and that’s on my part. But now, we’re uhm…” she glanced at Elliot, and as if he was dreaming, he saw an almost genuine smile rise from Olivia’s lips. “We're setting it right.”
The officer, still unconvinced at the “coincidence” of events, nodded his head for acknowledgement.
He clapped his hands together, earning the close attention of them both. “Okay, so here’s what’s gonna happen. We’ll be scheduling an interview with you two, confirming the details of this relationship and if by any chance that your answers don’t add up…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence for Olivia and Elliot to know what he meant. The silence that followed was enough.
“Next will be a thorough background check including interviews with families, parents, friends, co-workers.”
Elliot’s throat was drying up and no amount of gulping could hydrate it. He wanted to run away as quickly as he could, as far as he could reach. Olivia was listening intently, taking notes of what’s to lie ahead of them.
“And if by any chance that we’ll be able to prove that you’re committing fraud: Miss Benson right here would be automatically deported back to her country and you, Mister Stabler, are facing a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar fine and five years of federal imprisonment.” The officer then smiled casually as if what he enumerated weren’t legal punishments.
He wasn’t breathing anymore. The punishments laid out in front of him made his whole life flash right in front of his life.
He can’t go to prison. He doesn’t have two hundred and fifty dollars in hand, in the case that they mess this up.
Olivia, despite the worry of the situation now that it escalated to this, tried her best to look professional and calm on the outside.
The officer leaned back again on the back rest of his chair, clasping his hands together. “Are we clear on this matter?”
They both nodded, answering simultaneously.
“Crystal clear.” “Yes, sir.”
“Alright, we’ll schedule the interview five days from now. Is that good?”
Olivia smiled. “Yes, that’s perfect.”
The officer confirmed their schedule on paper and handed them a business card before they were off on their way.
As they exited the building, Elliot could barely feel his limbs as he recalled his possible ending once they were caught lying.
Federal imprisonment
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollar fine
His life down the drain
His kids fatherless
Their future ruined...all because of his lunatic boss.
“Reschedule the meeting for 9 am to 10. I need time to recover from that. Also, I need to–”
Elliot snapped, fuming from Olivia’s casual approach to the dangerous waters they were treading. “I’m sorry, didn’t you hear anything?”
Olivia’s brows furrowed, utterly clueless. “Hear what?” She looked around, trying to look for the source of what Elliot was “hearing”.
He sighed, fingers massaging the bridge of his nose. “I’m not doing this. You’re not dragging me to your problem.”
Olivia, completely unfazed, stepped closer in an attempt to intimidate. “Yes, you are doing this with me.”
He was convinced the her wickedness was rooting from her bangs. Those bangs were hiding her horns.
He shook his head, washing his palms over his face. “No, Olivia. You’re by yourself on this one. This isn't another site visit or a meeting reschedule. This is a legal conundrum."
He’s decided. He doesn’t have to do this. There’s no reason why he had to lay his life for the woman who ordered him around like he was a robot.
“Yes, you’re doing this because if I get deported, you’d be fired before you could even blink. You have children, right? It’s gonna be hard looking for a job in this city, and I know that raising children is hard in this econom–”
He immediately cut her off. “You are impossible.”
“I am being practical. It’s only a wedding and we’ll get a divorce after the allotted time. We do this and we both benefit–”
“We need to discuss terms and conditions,” Elliot firmly said, his frustration growing.
There was no stopping the woman, and he had to think fast to avoid compromising him in the process.
Olivia crossed her arms, then nodded. “Okay, Elliot dot com, what are your terms and conditions?”
A wicked glint flickered in his eyes, finally having the upper hand in the situation. “They’re gonna ask our families questions, and they’re going to dig for any sort of plotholes in our stories,” he began.
She cocked her head, eyes narrowed, trying to get a sense of what he’s proposing.
“You’re going to live with me and my family until we get married.”
Her mouth fell open just a bit. “Why– well…that’s it?”
He shook his head. “This relationship will be as real as it can get in front of everyone. I don’t want any prying eyes thinking we’re faking it.”
“We are faking it,” she said, boring him with a flat expression.
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “You know what I mean.”
Olivia raised her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Nothing else?”
He took a deep breath and expelled it in a loud sigh, then stepped closer, their faces inches away from each other.
“And if we’re doing this, we’ll see it through ‘cause there’s no way in hell I’m going to prison for your problems.”
Relieved with the lightness of his terms, she flashed a smile laced with mischief. “Easy terms and conditions. Will that be all, Mr. Stabler?” she asked, charm in her tone.
“That’s all, Ms. Benson. If you’ve got nothing else, then we can seal the deal.”
Olivia extended her hand for a hand shake, but Elliot just stared at her hand. “I don’t think that’s how you propose, Ms. Benson.”
They haven’t even started but he’s already getting amused at the situation.
He’s going to enjoy the heck out of this.
She cocked an eyebrow, expression tainted with disdain.
“Are you asking me to propose?”
He shrugged his shoulders, his lips in a frown. “I don’t know. You need me more than I need you, right? If you don’t want to, then–” He turned around, ready to walk away but Olivia grabbed a fistful of his coat, making him turn back around.
“Wait! Okay, okay…” She looked down at the ground, face grimacing at the thought of filth and dirt clinging to her pants. “Do I have to kneel?”
Elliot shrugged again, obviously enjoying the playful torture he’s putting his wicked boss under.
He’s now getting payback for years of handling her bratty attitude.
“I’m not kneeling,” she finalized. “Will you marry me, Elliot?”
He rolled his eyes, blowing air out of his lips. “You sound like you’re asking a barista for a coffee stirrer.”
Olivia curled her hands into fists on her side, jaw clenching, already half regretting her decisions. But she quickly shook her thoughts away, and flashed a smile. A teethed smile which always pisses Elliot off, for some inexplicable reason.
To his surprise, Olivia’s hand lifted to cup his face, her eyes narrowing in sheer refusal to what she just did, but she kept her hand there, rubbing his skin with her thumb.
“Elliot…love of my life starting today, will you be so kind as to marry me?”
She internally grimaced at her words, never anticipating that she’d be proposing to a man in her lifetime.
Elliot stared into her dime sized-pupils before his hand lifted and held hers which was cupping the side of his face. He flashed a smile of the same intensity as hers, but his eyes were blatantly cursing her.
For a moment, it seemed like he was actually appreciating her gesture, until he spoke.
“Okay.” He then pulled her hand away from his face and turned on his heel to walk away from the devil herself.
Olivia’s jaw dropped, appalled at his actions. “What a jerk.”