Chapter Text
It was their first joint case since that night in Olivia's kitchen. She had distanced herself from Elliot, grappling with a mix of shame and fear, reluctant to address the incident. In the following weeks, their communication had been minimal, restricted to a few brief texts. So when this new case was presented to them by none other than McGrath, they found themselves unexpectedly thrown together in the same room.
Olivia tried her best to hide her reaction upon seeing Elliot across the room, but he caught sight of her before she could regain her composure. His gaze softened upon locking eyes with her, but he felt a pang of disappointment when Olivia averted her gaze. He understood that she needed time to sort through her emotions before they could have a conversation.
After being briefed, the team assembled in the bullpen. Through an unspoken agreement, they decided to put the kitchen incident behind them and focus on the task at hand. They immersed themselves in their work, a reflex honed by years of partnership.
Throughout the day, Olivia couldn't help but notice Elliot's efforts to make her feel at ease, to erase the lingering awkwardness from that kitchen encounter. He was behaving like her partner, nothing more and nothing less, and she found herself immensely grateful for it. He didn't want her to feel pressured into discussing what had transpired or to think that he was still bothered by her pulling away. In truth, he completely understood her reaction and regretted cornering her when she wasn't ready.
The case progressed smoothly, as expected when they worked together. It was only 6 pm, but they now found themselves waiting on lab results and classified files. The rest of their colleagues began to gather their belongings, ready to call it a day and resume the investigation tomorrow.
Stabler followed the Captain into her office.
“Heading home to Noah?” he asked casually.
“Ah no. Noah has dance practice tonight, I’ll pick him up at 9.” She shared, settling behind her desk.
Elliot hesitated for a fleeting moment, studying the newfound ease between them that had unfurled throughout the day. Encouraged by the dissipated tension, he decided to seize the moment, to take a chance.
“Want to have dinner at my place?” Elliot's words spilled out, surprising Olivia. “You can go pick up Noah from there.”
The room seemed to hold its breath, a palpable electricity hanging in the air. It was a simple invitation to dinner, a few hours together, with a deadline that gave her an out later. Elliot's heart raced as he awaited Olivia's response, his hopes and fears entangled in a delicate balance.
“Oh I…” She hesitated, her uncertainty mirroring the delicate tightrope they were navigating.
“I promise not to cook for you.” Elliot teased, his attempt at lightheartedness masking the vulnerability that lingered beneath his words.
A smile tugged at Olivia's lips, she let out a small laugh.
"You don't want to cook for me?" she playfully taunted, a certain nervousness peaking through.
"No, I do," Elliot confessed, his hands going into his pocket as a sign of nervousness. He decided to be open about his comment. "But I'm afraid it'll spook you."
His honesty surprised her. Elliot knew that if he made a big deal out of this, cooking for her, it would maybe be too much and she wouldn’t say yes. Instead of felling vulnerable at that, Olivia felt seen and understood. It felt good.
Also, it reaffirmed to her that he had no anger or disappointment towards her for withdrawing from him back in January. He still wanted this, and that confirmed her trust in him.
“Hm, how well you know me, Stabler…” she teased back, a gentle admission without outright confirmation.
Their smiles mirrored the unspoken agreement between them, a tacit understanding that they were addressing what had happened without having to verbalize it.
Elliot sighed in relief. They were going to be okay.
“Is that a yes then?”
Olivia smiled.
“I need to send a few emails first, but I’ll be there around 7?”
“Perfect.” Elliot beamed.
He reached for the door, ready to leave her office, when her voice called him back.
“El?” she called out, stopping him at the door.
As Olivia reflected on the effort Elliot had invested throughout the day to alleviate the tension between them, a profound sense of gratitude washed over her. She appreciated his empathetic understanding of her fears and reservations. She wanted to reciprocate and express her gratitude. She wanted to show her willingness to take a few steps forward, to show him that even though she wasn't fully ready for everything, she was open to exploring more wth him.
“That cooking of yours…” she began, her voice hesitant yet brimming with an unspoken invitation.
“Yeah?” Elliot encouraged, his curiosity piqued as he met her gaze.
“Has it gotten any better from when we were partners?” she asked, her eyes tentatively his.
“I’d say I’ve improved yeah…” he responded, not wanting to overthink where this was going.
Olivia observed him intently, her nervousness tinged with a glimmer of hope.
“Show me.”
Elliot navigated the fragile moment with caution, understanding the vulnerability in her voice. She was offering him an opportunity to care for her, to show her trust in their connection. A surge of gratitude washed over him, mingled with a profound sense of relief. Elliot exhaled slowly.
“Sure.” He replied, grateful. “I’ll see you tonight.” He confirmed, stepping out.
Olivia found herself struggling to focus on writing any emails after that. Not really knowing what she got herself into, she still was excited to experience her partner’s cooking tonight.