Work Text:
It’s been a long day for Olivia Benson. Though, really, what days aren’t long for a Captain in the NYPD? She texted Elliot to let him know that she finally made it home a half an hour ago before slipping into the bathtub for a long soak. They were supposed to have dinner tonight.
He’s been home from his assignment for a month or so - called her the night he got home, saying he just wanted to hear her voice. It had taken a couple of days for her to call him back. Maddie had just disappeared, and when he called, McGrath was literally in the middle of praising her on live TV for finding a girl she hadn’t even known was missing.
Since then, they’ve texted almost every day and talked on the phone at least once a week. He’s brought her coffee to the precinct, but tonight was the first chance they were supposed to have to get dinner. Then, all hell broke loose during an interrogation at the 1-6, and his mama wandered off. They found her about an hour later in a shop a couple blocks over that she liked to frequent.
Olivia is just starting to think about getting out of the bath when her phone begins to buzz, ‘Elliot’ in bold letters across the top of the screen.
“Hey,” she answers.
“Hey, Liv.” His voice is soft when he calls her just to talk - something they’ve been doing more and more of over the last four weeks. “So, what are you wearing?”
“What?!” She sloshes the water, and she’s sure he’s heard it.”
“No! I, uhh, I didn’t mean right now. Not-not like that. Saturday. What are you wearing to this thing on Saturday? The fundraiser.”
She can practically see the flush burning up his chest and ears, and she bursts out laughing. It feels good to laugh, and she can hear him doing the same on the other end of the line. After a minute or so, she calms herself enough to respond, “I’ll probably keep it simple. Black dress and heels.”
“Okay.”
She thinks he’s unsure where to go from here, so she takes mercy on him, asking about his kids, his mother. She asks about the brothers who are in town for the first time in years and whom she has yet to meet. In return, he asks about Noah and her squad.
They’re wrapping up the conversation, with his, “It’s getting late. I better let you go,” when she decides to go for it.
“Eucalyptus bubble bath.”
“What?” She can hear the gears turning as he tries to figure out what the three seemingly-random words mean.
“That’s what I’m wearing right now. Night, El.” She disconnects the call and smiles to herself. The compass is definitely working.
***
The next evening when Olivia gets back to her apartment building, Jorge calls her over to his desk. “Captain Benson. This was dropped off for you a couple of hours ago by a gentleman. Stabler, I believe he said.”
“Thanks, Jorge,” Olivia replies and lifts the blue gift bag from the table. She’s thankful that Noah has a late class tonight. She doesn’t know what’s in the bag, and she doesn’t want to answer any questions about why Elliot is leaving her a present when it’s not her birthday.
There’s white tissue paper sticking out of the top of the bag, so she can’t even peek inside until she reaches her apartment. Once there, she sets the bag on the kitchen table and hangs her coat and purse on the hook by the door. After locking her badge and gun in the safe, she returns to the kitchen and places her phone beside the gift bag.
She laughs when she pulls a bottle of bubble bath out of the bag. There’s a note tied around the neck of the bottle.
Liv,
I didn’t see eucalyptus, but I’m sure you look beautiful in lavender, too.
El