Work Text:
Amanda spun on her heel as she proceeded to take yet another short walk in front of the door she had been pacing in front of for the last 5 minutes. She paused, raised her hand to knock, then dropped it and resumed her aimless steps. A whine made her hesitate and Amanda glanced down at Frannie who was giving her a wide eyed stare that seemed to radiate confusion and concern.
"It's okay, girl" Amanda soothed, reaching down to stroke the dog's fur. Having reached a decision, Amanda gathered the leash in her hand. She took one last lingering glance at the door, and started to turn away when the door swung open.
Amanda stumbled back in surprise, eliciting a bark from Frannie, and looked up to find herself face-to-face with Olivia, who was leaning against the frame.
"Are you really going to leave, as long as you've been standing there?" Olivia asked, crossing her arms as she stared at Amanda, who had turned a pale shade of pink.
"How did you know I was here?" Amanda demanded, trying to ignore the rising embarrassment from realizing that Olivia had bee watching her this entire time.
Olivia gave a pointed glance at Frannie, who had yet to be still, "I heard barking."
"Oh, right," Amanda muttered. "Well anyway, we'll just be going. See you later, Liv," Amanda announced, trying to surreptitiously ease her way out of the hall with Frannie in tow, having lost her nerve.
"Amanda!" Olivia called, still standing in the doorway and bearing clear witness to the detective's not so subtle attempt at fleeing. "I really doubt you came all the way over here just to stare at my door; will you please tell me what is going on?" Olivia asked with a touch of exasperation in her tone that quickly shifted to one of concern, "Are you alright?" she asked, now carefully surveying the blonde who was slowly increasing the distance between them.
"I'm fine, Liv, really," Amanda promised, feeling guilty for making her worry. "It's nothing, forget I was even here. It was just something silly," Amanda interjected in a carefree voice.
Olivia quirked an eyebrow at the blonde's hasty escape. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
XXXXXX
"A costume party?" Olivia repeated, looking at Amanda who sat perched on her kitchen barstool and was steadfastly refusing to meet her eyes.
"Yup," Amanda confirmed, without shifting her gaze from the refrigerator magnets that she was seemingly transfixed by.
"You're inviting me to a costume party?" Olivia asked, stepping in front of Amanda's line of vision and obstructing her view.
Amanda sighed as she resigned herself to explaining. "I met this lady at the dog park a while back. Her dog and Frannie really get along, so we started talkin'. I ran into her a couple weeks ago and she mentioned she was throwing a Halloween party, invited me and Frannie along, and said I could bring a guest. So I was gonna ask you but then I realized you're busy and of course you wouldn't want to go anyway so that's why I was leaving," Amanda breathed. She realized she'd been rambling as she took a second to catch her breath.
Unable to bear the silence left by her hurried explanation, Amanda chanced a glance at Olivia who was looking down at her with an inscrutable expression. The now familiar discomfort rising in her again, she started to stand, casting a brief glance around for Frannie who had made herself at home on the couch completely uninterested in the scene.
Her futile attempt at slipping away was once again halted by a hand resting on her shoulder, stalling her movements. Reluctantly Amanda looked up at Olivia, expecting to see disapproval or confusion, anything but the twinkle of amusement flickering across her face.
"Who says I don't want to go?"
XXXXXX
Olivia grimaced as she perused the rack of clothes, her hand pausing on a particularly lurid shade of green leggings. Why did I agree to this? The same thought had been echoing through her head ever since she had escorted a much more upbeat blonde and loyal companion from her apartment and now found herself amid one of the city's numerous popup Halloween shops.
Because it's Amanda. The answer came to her unbidden. Try as she might, and she had indeed tried very hard, she couldn't deny that she had a soft spot for the southern blonde. When she discovered Amanda pacing a rut outside her door, immediately her thoughts went to worst case scenarios. Her mind was unable to conceive any other reason why the detective would be at her door unannounced. So when Amanda revealed her true purpose, she was speechless; which led to Amanda misinterpreting her silence as a refusal even though it couldn't be farther from the truth.
She had been pleasantly surprised that Amanda actually wanted to spend time with her. Truthfully, she had been trying to find reasons to get to know Amanda a little better, but every subtle attempt had so far fallen apart; a drink at a bar that had somehow turned into a squad outing, staying late to review a case that had wound up being a team brainstorming session, a ride home that ended up being a group carpool. The rest of the squad had been oblivious, but she could've sworn she saw Fin smirking as Carisi innocently asked for a ride too.
The prospect of spending time with Amanda had overruled her common sense. That was the only conclusion Olivia could come to as she pulled out a corresponding green tunic.
It had taken some convincing to assure Amanda that she was serious about wanting to be her guest, and she couldn't help but feel a bit put out that Amanda had automatically assumed she wouldn't be interested. Did she really seem so distant? Only after Olivia had assured Amanda that she really did want to go with her did the rest of the details come out.
A costume party. Amanda had mentioned that part with trepidation as though she expected Olivia to change her mind, but the brunette had merely shrugged. Costumes weren't unheard of for Halloween, and besides it should be simple enough to find a witch's hat so she could keep with her preferred theme of all black.
But as she mentioned that, a gleam in Amanda's eye suggested she had other ideas.
Which is how Olivia wound up adding a cap with a bright red feather to her small pile. Never would she have guessed that the blonde had a secret love dressing up in general, and a particular fondness for Peter Pan.
Olivia had almost laughed when Amanda hesitantly proposed that they go as Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, certain that she had been joking; but she noticed the earnest look on the detective's face just in time and turned her laugh into a sneeze.
Dressing up wasn't really a source of particular enjoyment for the brunette. Even as a child, on the rare occasions Serena would remember it was Halloween and the even rarer occurrences that she would take Olivia trick or treating, her costumes were always simple by choice. A magic wand, cat ears, a tutu, whatever was easy to put together. Her favorite part of Halloween had always been the aftermath when she would curl up in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate and watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown while sneaking pieces of the candy her mother bought for her students but always forgot to give them; which suspiciously happened to be Olivia's favorite kinds.
A faint smile came across her as she relived the fleeting memory of one of the few fond memories of her childhood. Refocusing on the task at hand, Olivia bypassed the shoe rack, certain that she could find something suitable in her own vast collection of footwear.
As Olivia spied the glittery wings across the room, she recalled the wave of relief that had washed over her as Amanda stated her preference to be Tinker Bell, if Olivia didn't mind. As if she would have had any objections. Bright green was already pushing it, she might have had to draw the line at wings. Although, Olivia thought back to the look of pure joy that had radiated from the younger woman when Olivia had agreed to be the Peter Pan to her Tinker Bell; maybe she could've endured a little glitter if the situation had been reversed.
XXXXXX
"Sonofabitch," Amanda cursed as she squinted in pain trying to dislodge the small silver speckle of glitter that had fallen into her eye. In theory, dusting herself with glitter had seemed like the perfect finishing touch to her costume, but the application was proving to be a challenge. "Why does anyone even bother with this stuff?" she asked aloud surveying the tiny puddle of glitter that pooled at her feet and covered every visible surface of her bathroom.
Still, despite the fact that she would probably be finding glitter in unmentionable places for a very long time, Amanda had to grin at her reflection. An unhealthy amount of hairspray had secured her fly away hair into a high bun and her newly cut bangs framed her face perfectly; her blue eyes sparkled with the flecks of glitter lining them and matched the tinges of silvery blue glitter that tipped her wings.
Amanda ran her hands down her sides, smoothing out her short green dress. She gave herself one last cursory glance in the mirror before exiting the bathroom. As she stepped into her green slippers she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was in a dream, was she really actually about to go out with Olivia Benson? Just as friends Amanda reminded herself before her mind could get too carried away. But she still couldn't shake the smile that seemed permanently plastered on her face.
Anxiety and doubt had filled her the entire way over to Olivia's apartment when she decided to invite her. She came close on numerous occasions to turning around, finding a million reasons to talk herself out of it. But in spite of logic telling her there was no way her no nonsense boss would ever want to go to a costume party, especially with her, sheer hopefulness urged her onward.
Amanda knelt down to refasten Frannie's bonnet, which Amanda suspected the dog had deliberately knocked askew. The simple white bonnet tied with a green ribbon reminiscent of the Darlings' dog Nana was the perfect costume for Frannie especially considering that she hardly would have tolerated anything more complex; which had privately crushed Amanda's dreams of dressing her up as a lost boy. She thought Frannie would have made an adorable Rabbit.
"C'mon Frannie Mae, it's just a hat," Amanda argued with an exasperated sigh at the fidgeting dog. Frannie gave her a reproachful look, but nonetheless settled down so Amanda could retie the ribbon. The detective eased into a chair; she'd had a harder time convincing her dog to wear a costume than she did getting Olivia to agree, which surprised her.
After Olivia had coaxed her inside and she had subsequently blurted out her plans to invite her, Olivia had stunned Amanda by accepting. Although it was the answer she desperately wanted to hear, she hadn't anticipated that Olivia would actually say yes. The response had floored her and it took all of her limited self-control to keep her emotions under wraps.
The fact that Olivia even agreed to go had been more than Amanda hoped for, but when the brunette mentioned going as a witch another thought sprang to Amanda's mind; one that she had secretly harbored for quite some time. And Amanda, never being one to not press her luck, forged on.
It was one of her best kept secrets, how much she loved Peter Pan. It had been her favorite childhood movie. She'd watch it over and over with the volume down low so her daddy wouldn't complain. The magic of flying, endless adventures, and the idea of never having to deal with grown up problems like the ones her parents were always fighting about had captivated her. She would have been Tinker Bell every Halloween had she not outgrown her dress and her mama refused to get her a new one, saying it was high time she did something different. Plus, she lost her sidekick when Kim decided she'd rather be a boring cat than Peter Pan again. It wasn't nearly as fun to dress up alone.
So when Olivia agreed to a costume, Amanda couldn't stop herself from making a suggestion. She regretted it the moment the words passed her lips; how juvenile would the older woman think she was. But to her shock, startle, and surprise, Olivia had merely raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Guess I'll be needing something green."
Amanda sat up abruptly when the doorbell rang and eagerly made her way to the door. Despite having confirmed their plans a week ago, a part of her hadn't expected Olivia to actually show up; the pessimistic side of her certain that there would be some last minute change; a new case, an accident, a bout of sickness. But apparently there was nothing of the sort because from the peephole Amanda spied a sea of green.
With one quick peek in the mirror adjacent to the door Amanda took a deep breath and swung open the door stepping aside to allow her guest entry.
"Wow, Olivia, you look-" Amanda trailed off, eyeing the feathered cap the brunette had angled atop her hair which she had pulled back into a casual french twist; her gaze sweeping down to the vibrant green V-neck tunic and form fitting leggings complete with brown suede ankle boots. Any second thoughts Amanda might have had about asking Olivia to be Peter Pan went right of her mind; she had never seen a more enthralling sight.
"Wow, Amanda, you're-" Olivia began, taking in the silky green mini dress, silvery wings with hints of blue, matching slippers, and the way she sparkled in the light. Olivia felt as though she had stepped into a fairy tale; the last minute reservations she'd harbored on the ride over melted away as she took in the absolutely adorable version of Amanda before her.
The two women stood transfixed until Frannie, impatient as ever, started barking. Amanda hastily cleared her throat, breaking the spell between them. Reflexively they both took a step back and Amanda quickly gestured to the hall.
"Shall we go?"
XXXXXX
Frankenstein's monster, Raggedy Ann, and a werewolf were mingling by the punch bowl, and a dog dressed like superman came up to sniff the new arrivals; suddenly Olivia didn't feel overdressed anymore. She'd felt absolutely ridiculous earlier scrutinizing her reflection in her full length bedroom mirror; the irregularly cut bold green tunic, the leggings that fit more like tights, the feather that insisted on resting askew on the hat. The only conclusion she could come to was that she truly must care about Amanda; no one else could even come close to getting her in such an outfit.
"You came!" cried a voice from amid the modest crowd, shouting a bit louder than necessary to be heard over Thriller. Amanda turned to find herself enveloped in one arm by Elvira, the other carefully clutching a glass of bright red punch.
"Heather, hi," Amanda gasped as she extracted herself from the surprisingly firm hug; the overzealous greeting making her suspect there was more than just juice in the bowl.
"I'm so happy to see you again! And Frannie is just so precious!" she remarked to the dog who was now exchanging customary introductions with Superdog. Her attention shifted to the brunette. "You must be Olivia," she announced in a tone that betrayed no doubt. She took a moment to look Olivia up and down before loudly whispering to Amanda, "You weren't kidding about her," she said with a wink to the now furiously blushing blonde and a smile to both of them before disappearing back into the crowd.
Amanda suddenly became very engaged in surveying the decorations, but she could feel Olivia's gaze burning into her.
"So you've talked about me," Olivia interjected, breaking the silence, a teasing lilt in her voice. Even with the dark lighting in the room, she could see the detective's face heating up and she couldn't resist commentating.
"You might have come up once or twice," Amanda mumbled, desperately wishing for the ground to swallow her. Her eyes darted around the room, fervently searching for an escape.
"Look, candy!" Amanda proclaimed, making a beeline for the large bowl and practically dragging Olivia with her; conveniently in the opposite direction that Heather had gone.
Olivia let herself be led; although her own curiosity was eager to know what exactly the blonde had said about her, she reluctantly let Amanda change the subject.
"I haven't had these since I was a kid," Amanda remarked, holding up a pink pixy stix.
Olivia wrinkled her nose, "Really, Amanda, those are pure sugar,"
"That's why they're so good," the detective countered, tearing off the top and consuming the powder in one go.
"C'mon Liv, it's Halloween," Amanda cajoled, waving a blue stix in front of the brunette.
The carefree innocence of the blonde was enough to convince Olivia. It was rare to see the younger woman so unguarded, but it was a look the brunette wanted to see more of.
Taking the candy from Amanda, Olivia sampled the tart powder wincing at the overwhelming sweetness.
Amanda was watching her with a grin. "Isn't it great!" she asked while reaching for another.
"It's a bit too sweet for me," Olivia admitted, glancing around for a place to dispose of the rest of the small tube.
"More for me," Amanda shrugged, taking the partially eaten candy from Olivia and finishing the contents.
Amanda started to say something else when a pirate bumped into her; the eye patch and punch taking a toll on his coordination. Amanda stumbled forward into Olivia who instinctively wrapped her arms around the blonde to steady her. However, even after Amanda recovered her balance, Olivia kept holding her.
Olivia knew she should let go, the bump had barely jostled her, but she couldn't quite convince her arms to surrender their grasp. It was a pleasant sensation, having the smaller woman cradled against her, and she wanted to savor the moment.
She had just began to convince herself to step back when she felt arms slipping around her middle as Amanda drew nearer, resting her head against her chest.
Amanda wasn't sure what had spurred the older woman to keep her arms around her, but she didn't care to question it. Being so close to Olivia was an experience her dreams couldn't parallel and she yearned for more. As she felt the brunette's grip begin to slacken, Amanda couldn't resist the urge to tempt fate. She pressed closer to Olivia, hearing her small gasp and feeling warmed by the heat radiating from her skin. Amanda could've stayed like that forever, nestled in Olivia's soft embrace.
Olivia felt like her skin was on fire; the sheer touch of Amanda enough to set her aflame. She chanced a glance down at Amanda only to find blue eyes peering up at her. They moved in sync, a wordless exchange as they leaned in closer. Amanda tilted her head back as Olivia leaned down their lips meeting in a sugary sweet kiss.