Work Text:
“Hey partner,” he answers after the first ring.
“Hey, you busy?”
“No, everything ok?”
“Just wanted to talk again before you left.”
“Wanna come over? I’ll could order us some food.”
“If you’re busy or have things to take care of it’s…”
“Liv, come over. Please.”
30 minutes later, she taps lightly on his front door, still wearing the yoga pants and sweatshirt she’d changed in to after work.
He opens immediately, motions for her to come in. She leads the way to his kitchen, stopping to sit at the island.
“So, when do you leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. Wine?”
“Please. How long will you be gone?”
He pours them both a glass from the bottle he opened before she arrived. “I’m not sure. Hopefully not too long. A month, maybe six weeks. I’d like to call you while I’m gone, if that’s ok with you. Check on how that compass is working.” He clinks his glass to hers with a shy grin.
She blushes. “You really got shorted in the gift deal. This compass is the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me.”
“Nah, I got my Liv Love. I won.”
She looks down, noticing his ring is gone. He notices her looking but doesn’t mention it.
“Liv, I’m glad you came over. I feel like we’re always on the same page with work but I just want to be sure we’re on the same page about us before I leave. I need you to know…what I said at the urgent care, about thinking I’d lost you. That wasn’t about anybody else.” He pauses, tears in his eyes, taking a step forward and places a hand on her knee. “It was the thought of…losing you. It was just like Gitano, I couldn’t breathe at the thought of losing you.”
She stands then, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I was scared too, that we’d lose our chance” she whispers while rocking back and forth slowly.
His face in her neck, he rubs his hand slowly on her back over her sweater. “Olivia, I love you so much. You know that right?”
She pulls her head away slightly, hands around his face, foreheads touching. “I know. I love you too. That’s why I needed to see you tonight before you left. To tell you - The compass works.” She returns his smirk from earlier.
“God we’re a mess. Our timing is terrible.”
“It is, but I can’t wait god knows how long to kiss you.” She kisses him, tentative at first before opening her mouth to him. It quickly becomes frenzied, his hand wandering underneath her sweater until he hears her wince when he pulls her in tighter by the waist.
“Shit, I’m sorry, I forgot. How’s it healing?”
“I’ll survive.” She kisses him again, this time much slower and deliberate. After a few minutes of exploration, she pulls away. “Honestly, this was why I really came over.”
“You know, you’re welcome to use your emergency spare key for non-emergencies.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You wanna stay for dinner?”
“I need to go pick up Noah from his rehearsal.” She eyes his carryon bag mostly packed and sitting next to the couch, then spots the wooden ornament on the side table with his mail. She slowly picks up the ornament and places it in the bag, careful to tuck it inside where it won’t be smashed. “There, now part of me can be with you while you’re gone.”
He walks her out the back door towards the terrace. “No offense El, but this space looks like shit. It has so much potential. Where’d all the plants go?”
“I know, I know. With my mom gone, I just didn’t take care of them the way I needed to. Just cleared them all out a few weeks ago to start over.”
“Maybe I could help - something we could do together when you get back?”
“I’d love that Liv.” He opens the gate and feels a sense of deja vu.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid or reckless. I need you to come home in one piece.”
“I promise. I’ll call as soon as I can. This - us - means everything to me, and I won’t take it for granted.” He kisses her gently, his left hand behind her lower back holding her to him, his right tucked into her long waves.
She pulls back and glances toward the barren terrace. “Hurry back. We’ve got a lot of work to do but it’s going to be good.” She gives him one last deep kiss before slowly pushing him back towards his apartment and turning to walk towards her car. “So, so good.”