Chapter Text
Olivia had thought that perhaps she was crazy, inviting Elliot to sleep on her couch, what in the world was she thinking?
Surely he had a hotel room that he could go back to.
Or perhaps Kathleen would offer up her spare bedroom, or Dickie, no, wait, Richard, would offer up a couch.
But instead she had been the one to offer him a safe and quiet place to rest his head.
And she was downright insane for doing so.
“Hey Lucy.” She hadn’t called ahead and warned the young woman they were coming, so the shock on her face at the sight of Elliot walking through the door was expected. “Sorry it’s so late.”
“It’s okay.” Lucy pushed herself up from the couch and shifted her gaze between the two, an eyebrow raising as Elliot hung back. “Noah’s been out for about an hour. I can stay if you need me too…”
“No, no, we’re good.” Shaking her head Olivia removed her jacket and hung it by the door, running a hand through her hair as she turned back toward Lucy and smiled. “Go home, get some rest.”
“Oookay…” She could practically hear the wheels in the other woman’s head turning as she moved toward the door. “Is that…?”
Her question was whispered but Olivia still couldn’t help but chuckle as she nodded her head.
“We’ll talk later.” The idea of having to explain to anyone outside of Fin just exactly who and what Eilliot was to her was terrifying. “Thanks for staying tonight.”
“Always.” And just like that she was grabbing her bag and her jacket and stepping out into the hallway. “But I want details later.”
Olivia simply shook her head with a laugh before shutting the door behind her.
Suddenly the air around her was thicker than she had bargained for and she swallowed as she looked toward Elliot, his eyes staring out the window as he fidgeted with his jacket.
“Can I make you something to eat?” He turned toward her and smirked as he shook his head.
“Unless something has changed Liv, I don’t trust your cooking one bit.” God he could be such an ass when he wanted too.
“Hey now, I can cook, sort of.” She had kept Noah alive and fed all these years, and it wasn’t just on take out or Lucy’s pre-made dinners. “There’s Chinese leftovers in the fridge…”
“I’m good, really.” He looked so awkward and out of place and it both delighted her and scared her at the same time. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not.” Except, it was really, really weird that he was standing here, in her apartment, after all this time.
He didn’t reply, simply stuffing his hands in his coat pockets and shuffling his feet.
She sighed as she moved into the kitchen and looked around, her mind trying to find something to occupy itself with other than the fact that Elliot Stabler was standing in her living room.
Opening the fridge she grabbed a bottle of water, and then, because she was a nice hostess and all, grabbed another one.
Turning, she slid it across the counter toward him and smiled.
“Here.” He snapped his head up at the simple word and she tried not to lose it at the look in his eyes.
She didn’t know what it was, because it was an emotion she couldn’t remember ever having seen on his face, and yet, it was the most intense thing.
“Thanks.” His response was whispered and she let out a breath as she watched him take it slowly.
“I’m gonna go get you a pillow and a blanket.” She needed to put some more space between them because his wife had just died and she really shouldn’t be having the thoughts that she was having about him right now.
She heard him let out a sigh as she vanished into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her before leaning back against the wood and closing her eyes.
Taking a few deep breaths didn’t seem to do the trick, but she didn’t want to keep him waiting too long, so she pushed herself off the wall and moved toward the closet, grabbing a blanket from the top shelf.
Finding him a pillow was another story, because she suddenly realized that there weren’t many options.
There were only two pillows on her bed, and while she didn’t mind giving one up, she wasn’t sure how much he’d appreciate that it smelled like her.
She figured it wouldn’t matter either way, so she grabbed the pillow to the left and headed back into the hall.
She found Elliot sitting on the couch, his coat, suit jacket and shoes having been discarded and placed by the door.
“Here you go.” Stepping into the small space she watched as he looked up and offered her a smile, taking the items from her as he stood.
“Thanks.” Their hands brushed as she released the blanket and she swallowed, watching as he ducked his head away from her. “Mind if I uh…?”
“Bathroom’s the second door on the right.” She gestured toward the hall and smiled. “There should be a clean toothbrush in one of the drawers, towels are in the closet.”
He nodded his head as he dropped the pillow onto the couch, followed by the quilt, and then he turned back toward her.
She didn’t know what to say, the unsettling feeling returning as they stood there in an awkward silence.
What did you say to a man who just lost his wife but was currently standing in your living room looking at you like you were the only good thing left in this world?
“You should sleep, Liv.” He whispered as he reached out and took her hands in his.
If the circumstances had been any different she was almost one hundred percent certain he would have kissed her by now.
“Yeah, um…” Her eyes went everywhere in the room except his and it was purely for self preservation at this point. “Let me know if you need anything.”
And then she was practically yanking her hands free from his and darting into her room, the door shutting behind her with a sigh.
This shouldn’t have been the way this night ended, but alas, here they were, just as awkward and emotional as always.
She just hoped that tomorrow morning Noah didn’t ask a hundred questions about the strange man sleeping on her couch.