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They've been dating officially for 2 months now, both agreeing that they weren’t ready to disclose. Wanting to preserve their little bubble for now, or so they thought. One thing about Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler is that they have never once been subtle, despite their own impressions. They’d been dating for two weeks when Fin started to notice. Little things, mostly. Liv suddenly not having any dates planned nor seeming interested in going out for drinks after work. Elliot wasn’t being a total and complete asshole; there was even a slight spring in his step. Someone might have noticed these things and thought nothing of them. But Fin knew his friends, and these things were a far cry from the norm.
One morning, both partners walked in, as per usual, in sync, maintaining as respectful and professional a distance as they could manage, still wrapped up in the warmth of a slow morning waking up together. Olivia's quiet laugh echoed through the mostly empty bullpen before she could stop it. Both of them froze. Across the room, Munch looked up from his desk.
“Well,” he said, “either the coffee got better overnight or Benson got laid.”
The pair separated quickly, Liv mumbling a low response and busying herself at her desk as Elliot shuffled over to the makeshift coffee bar so as to hide the flush that rose up both of their necks.
“And we all know there’s no saving that coffee,” Fin added from his spot near the evidence board, smirking to himself as he quietly filed this new piece of evidence away.
The next incident came a few weeks later. Almost everyone had already left for the day, including Elliot. Olivia was still at her desk finishing up her DD5s as Casey walked in.
“After a day like that, I’m in need of a stiff drink to help take the edge off. Who’s in?”
Fin and Munch both rose, stretching while grumbling their agreement.
“Liv?” Casey asked.
“Oh, umm, sorry, guys, I think I’m gonna opt out this time. I’m just gonna head home, but the next one for sure!” replied Olivia, packing up her things into her bag. “You guys go ahead! Have fun!”
The trio started making their way out of the building, running into Elliot.
“What ya doing back here so late, Stabler?” asked Munch.
“Just forgot a file I was hoping to look through tonight,” replied Elliot, desperately trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights.
“Riggghht, well, we’re heading out for a drink if you want to join us. Much more fun than your plans of sitting and reading a case file alone,” interjected Fin with a glint in his eye.
“Nahhh, man, maybe next time. I’m shattered,” responded Elliot, waving goodnight to the group as he made his way to the elevator.
“Fancy that, they’re both too tired,” giggled Casey, raising her eyebrows at the two other men.
“Even the government is better at hiding its tracks than those two,” laughed Munch, opening the precinct doors and leading them out into the cold night air, leaving the two partners upstairs to their own delusions of subtlety.
A couple of days later, it was Cragen's turn to take notice of the partners.
“Stabler, a word,” Cragen said, opening the door to the interrogation room.
“What is it, Cap?” Elliot said, glaring at the man through the two-way mirror. “I need to get back in there.”
“I want you out. You're interfering.”
“Interfering? Captain, you've got to be kidding me? The guy's a creep!”
“You don't think I know that? Elliot, he's a creep that's going to get away with it if you don't let Olivia do her job!”
“Of course I'm letting Liv work! But he keeps…”
“Why don't you just piss on her leg while you're at it, Stabler?” barked the captain, interrupting whatever excuse Elliot was about to voice, frustration obvious in his voice.
The pair had been interrogating a perp for two hours now, the man having taken an obvious liking to Olivia, much to Elliot's displeasure.
“Captain, you've got to be kidding. That idiot is practically drooling over her! I wouldn't be a good partner if I didn't at least try to get him to back off!”
“If you can't take a step back and let Liv work without acting like an overprotective bulldog, then I'm sending in someone who can. Fin, you're up.”
Fin walked past the pair, clapping Elliot on the shoulder. “It's good, man. I've got her back.”
Stabler pushed past the men, huffing his irritation at the situation, pretending to be busy with paperwork.
“I don't know how she puts up with it,” grumbled Cragen.
“She's either a saint or she just reallyyy likes him,” snickered Fin before entering the interrogation room to join Olivia.
Over the next few days there were several other indiscretions that Fin picked up on. More and more times they left together or both had “different” things planned on the same nights. But the time Elliot walked in a couple of minutes after Olivia, dopey smile on his face, lipstick on the corner of his mouth was a new highlight. Fin watched Olivia's eyes widen as she noticed. Across the room she began making increasingly frantic gestures at Elliot. Elliot blinked at her. Olivia pointed at her own mouth. Elliot blinked again. The gestures somehow became less subtle.
“Are you learning how to mime over there?” Munch asked.
“Nahhh, I think she's trying to communicate a secret message,” teased Fin.
“No! Haha funny, you guys. There was just something in the air, a fly or something! No messages!” Liv said, trying to sound casual.
Elliot, having finally cottoned on, was wiping his mouth trying to play it off as him scratching his stubble.
That very same morning the duo were once again put in the hot seat when Casey swung by to update the squad.
“Hey El, I wanted to ask! Did you change your cologne?”
“My cologne?”
“Humm yeah.” She moved closer, breathing deeply. “It's much more floral today… reminds me of something.”
Elliot seemed slightly confused as he started sniffing himself, trying to figure out what it was the Casey was picking up on.
“Oh my god! I know what it is! You smell like Liv! Her perfume is almost the same,” remarked Casey, satisfied that she'd found the smell she was looking for. Elliot on the other had stopped all movement the moment the words left his friend's mouth, his mind spinning as he tried to find a logical way to explain everything without revealing his relationship status.
“Ohhh! Yeah, makes sense,” he said. “I carried her coat for her earlier, it must have rubbed off a little.”
“You were carrying her coat?”
“Yes, Casey, her arms were full. You know I can be a gentleman sometimes,” Elliot chided, using the joke as an opportunity to distract. “Speaking of Liv, I have to go wake her, she took 40.” he said making his way towards the cribs.
“Sure thing, loverboy,” mumbled Casey under her breath, waving goodbye to the room.
Later on that week, the squad decided to meet up for drinks. Almost everybody had already arrived except for the two partners and Cragen.
“So…how long?” asked Casey.
“How long to what?”
“Until the two idiots pull their heads out of their ass and finally get together, Munch! At this point it's ridiculous!”
“Ahhh, yes our two emotionally constipated love birds. I'm thinking at least another two months of agonising unresolved sexual tension and yearning”
“I don't know, I think they might be closer to the breaking point than that! I was thinking more along the lines of three weeks before one of them cracks.”
“Nahhh,” added Fin. “You're both wrong, they've already crossed that line.”
Casey snorted. “No chance.”
“I'm serious.”
“Based on what?”
“Based on the evidence.”
“I don't know my friend, I'm not sure that the horizontal tango has been danced quite yet.”
“First of all, Munch, ew. Second of all, if you're so sure of yourself, Fin, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?” suggested Casey, a playful smile pulling at her lips.
“Sure thing, lady! Fifty bucks says that they're already together”
“Okay, Okay, fifty on before the end of this month”
“Ahhh, money games, my biggest weaknesses after beautiful women! Fifty on two months.”
Elliot and Olivia had just arrived outside the bar sharing a light kiss before breaking away from each other to maintain their charade, blissfully unaware of the betting pool that had just been created inside. A little while later Cragen joined his squad as Elliot and Olivia were getting the next round.
“Hey Cap, how long till they're dating?” Fin asked.
“Benson and Stabler?”
“Yeah, we've got a little friendly bet going, you want in?”
“As your captain, I do not condone this behaviour.” The table groaned.
“But as your friend,” Cragen added, pulling out his wallet, “I'll put fifty on them already being together.”
Everyone settled once the partners returned with everyone's drinks. Neither of them noticed the increasingly amused looks exchanged around the table.
Three weeks later the group were once again all together deciding on whether or not to go out for the evening.
“I can't tonight, sorry guys”
“Why? You got a date?”
“Yeah, Stabler, you taking Liv out?”
“It better be somewhere nice!”
Elliot stood slightly taken aback by the teasing glancing Olivia standing by his side. She nodded discreetly.
“About that, guys… we wanted to…”
“HA!”
“I knew it!”
“About time!”
The pair stared at them, realisation slowly sinking in. “Wait, you've all known?”
“For months.”
“Months?”
“Benson, Stabler came into work wearing your lipstick.”
“Oh my god! That happened once! ONCE!”
“There was also the perfume.”
“And the interrogation room.”
“Ohh, don't forget the synchronized excuses.”
“Or Elliot treating every man within ten feet of Olivia like a threat to national security.”
“Maybe the fact that you literally arrived together today?”
Elliot looked at Olivia. Olivia looked at Elliot.
“We thought we were being subtle.”
The entire group burst out laughing
“Here,” said Cragen, sliding the already printed off disclosure forms to the pair.
Olivia peered down at the paperwork.
“You already had them printed out?”
“I saw you kiss outside O'Malley's three weeks ago. Thought I'd save us all the trouble.”
Turning towards Casey and Munch, he held out his hand.
“Pay up.”