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One of these days, she’s going to return the favor. She’s going to hear him come home (and oh him coming home to her was a concept that makes pleasant somersaults in her belly) and she’s going to be the one to help him shake the horrors of his latest case.
They’d gotten the real bad guys. There were still questions to answer, sure, like what cases may get upended with the Bad Doctor no longer practicing, but those were Future!Olivia’s problem.
Current!Olivia has very few problems.
Her son was at least a half an hour into his REM cycle, she got home at a respectable time, which was appreciated after initially being called in on the case during the middle of a movie night with Elliot and her son, and now she’s…
“And then I realized– Oh–fuck– right there–” Her head lolls against her headboard as her boyfriend (both of them in their preferred pajamas), props himself up at the end of her bed. Her eyes open just in time to see Elliot digging one of his huge knuckles into the bone just below her big toe.
It’s usually erotic, the way he touches her body, but maybe this particular massage is a little less sexy, as he works the aches out of her feet after a long day in heels. She’s been letting him into her bed and into her life for months now, he’s massaged the tight knots in her neck, studied every inch of her body (and kissed it) so she doesn’t feel awkward having him haul her feet into his lap without a word as she debriefs from the case.
He’s just esoteric enough to the SVU ecosystem to understand and empathize, but just exoteric enough to be the sympathetic support she needs. She loves SVU. She knows it’s her purpose. But they were nearly stonewalled at every turn in this case, because of jurisdiction, and now a persistent thought irks in the back of her mind.
“You know what’s really fucking irritating?” She puffs out her cheeks with a whoosh and her shoulders sag.
“What?”
“That social worker–”
“I thought you guys ended the cases on good terms?” Elliot moves to rubbing a soothing hand up and down her shin.
Olivia nods. “We did but when I met her she–”
“Liv–” Elliot shakes his head. “It happens. It was an honest mistake.”
“No, I know–” She puts a hand up to stop him. “I just… and I brushed it off at first too.”
“I’m sensing a ‘but’...?” He drags the knuckle of his index finger into her calf muscle.
“When we went up to the Bronx– I just… I felt helpless. I’m an NYPD Captain but I had a moment where I felt like there wasn’t anything I could do. I was going to throw a chair at the next person that said the word jurisdiction.”
“Carisi was just doin’ his job.” It’s no sooner Elliot has said that, a pillow flies at his face. He catches it, and props her foot up in his lap with it before he resumes massaging her foot and calf.
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Well… it’s just!!! Lead archaeologists do fieldwork all the time!”
And her boyfriend’s wiry bushy brows furrow like two inching caterpillars. “Come again?”
She closes her eyes and lets her head fall against the headboard. “Lead archaeolgists do fieldwork all the fucking time why is it such a problem I do it, as a lead, as the Captain?”
Recognition washes over Elliot’s face and he nods, walking his fingers up her shin. “I see.”
“Oh! And WHY is it such a big deal that a captain is in the field, but for some godforsaken reason I don’t have sway outside of my own jurisdiction? I’m a tenured Captain, for fuck's sake. Why does it seem like that only means something when I’m doing something wrong?”
She watches Elliot pause. He offers her a sympathetic smile before he crawls up the bed. He props himself up on an elbow as he lies on his side next to her. “It always means something to me.”
Olivia rolls her eyes and cups his cheek, stealing a peck. “You’ve long surpassed flattery to get into my pants, El.”
“I just want to remind you I’ll always support you.” He presses a long kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry things have been frustrating.”
Olivia lets out a deep sigh. “Do you think this case would’ve been easier if I’d taken Tynan up on that Deputy Chief position?”
Elliot thinks for a moment, and she lets him. She values his input, knows he won’t say something reductive or misogynistic, or on the flip side, say something so agreeable to her line of thinking that she comes to the conclusion he must only be saying it to keep the peace, not because he’s being honest with her.
After another few minutes, Elliot brushes rogue pieces of hair away from her face and shrugs. “I don’t know. On the one hand, when you ran into the issue of jurisdiction, it would’ve been a non-issue because you’d be above all the SVU captains. On the other hand– you’d be so removed from day to day cases that there’s no telling if you would’ve been called to the hospital to help that girl. And honestly, Liv? Maybe I’m a little biased but I think the only reason she was as forthcoming as she was, is because you’re so damn good at your job. You can always tell the right approach to get a victim to open up. You always have. SVU may not have been able to get as far as it did with her in the first place if you hadn’t personally been the first cop she talks to after her rescue.”
“So I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.” She shakes her head, throwing her hands up with defeat before they flop back to her sides. “I suppose life has been fair for far too long these days.”
Elliot chuckles quietly and kisses her head. He settles next to her and pulls her into his arms. She goes willingly, assuming her usual position (head in pocket of his shoulder, leg slung over his waist) as Elliot pulls the covers over them. She loves that she has a regular sleeping position with him. He’d been a grounding constant in what felt like constant change.
They’d lost their Captain, then Fin was out of commission, then she got a new detective, then she’s constantly dealing with the new Chief and her opinions, then Bruno got hurt, then Amanda (her best-fucking-friend) accuses her of doleing out empathy to the undeserving, and it’s all made her feel like she can barely keep her head above water.
But Elliot is a buoy through all of it.
Olivia drops a kiss to his grey t-shirt covered chest and sighs. “Thank you, for listening.” He’s listened to many-a rant sessions since they started dating and he’s taken them each in stride. She doesn’t thank him every time, sometimes she shows him gratitude in other ways.
Elliot cards his fingers through her hair and squeezes her close. “Of course, Liv. No matter what, I’m in your corner.”
Olivia lifts her head and gives him a slow, thankful kiss. In it, she thanks him for always coming when she called, she thanks him for picking her son up without question even on days she’s home in time, just so they can bond. And yes, she thanks him for being in her corner.
“And I’m in yours.” She drops another peck to his lip. “Get the light?”
Elliot nods and flicks the bedside table lamp off, plunging them into darkness and sleep not long after.