Chapter Text
Five years after Elliot left for Europe, he touched back down in New York for good. As the plane banked towards the city, he could spot the empire state building, and pictured Olivia nearby swinging her keys and humming as she walked through the parking garage at the 1-6. He had sent her his flight details, a 1pm arrival at JFK, and barring any urgent cases she said she’d be there to meet him. He hoped nothing had come up, he was starved for her presence, his arms itching to hold her again. They'd been apart for over two months this time, and it had felt interminable. A drop in the bucket really, when compared to the six years they'd spent apart, but he was acquainted with the shape of her now, and desperate to have her back within reach.
From the time he had gotten the news about his transfer in early February, it had taken another three weeks for him to get on a plane. First, he'd had to put in his notice with the international division, his CO more than a little annoyed that he hadn't even made it a year in the post. He'd asked him to serve out a month in his liaison role so they could make sure that he could transfer as much as possible to his US counterpart while they searched for his replacement.
Elliot had eyerolled at the request, but he knew his work was important and he didn’t want to burn any bridges because the OC task force would probably need them intact. Beyond that, he felt deeply invested in the trafficking ring he’d been monitoring and wanted to make sure they didn’t slip under the radar. He managed to talk the international liaison team into two weeks in Rome and two weeks in New York to bridge his absence. He’d served out the two weeks in Rome and then immediately hopped on a plane. Which left him with another two weeks at the international division offices in 1PP and then two weeks off to handle moving in and getting settled in his new place before he'd start his job at OC in April.
He sighed as the plane taxied to a stop in front of their gate and what felt like 500 people stood up in the rows in front of him. He shifted in his seat, preparing to settle in for a long wait off the plane and then through customs.
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All week, it had felt like there was a nest of birds that had taken up residence in her stomach and the closer she got to seeing Elliot, the more unsettled they became. She didn’t know when the thought of seeing him again had started making her nervous. But she'd been feeling anxious anticipation for days and now that she was so close to seeing him she was starting to feel shaky.
She had imagined their reunion so many times, but she still didn't know how it would play out. Would he run to her? Her to him? Would they embrace, showing their love unabashedly to the people waiting for their luggage in baggage claim 9? Was she ready to hug him in public? Would she even care in the moment? She was so desperate to be back in his arms, the calming scent of him stilling the tumbling thoughts racing through her mind.
But if they were going to have a big reunion, first she'd have to get to the airport. She was running late after one of their witnesses in the Ramirez assault trial had gotten herself arrested for a DUI and missed being called for her cross-exam in court. Luckily Barba had been able to reshuffle the whiteness list, and once they got that sorted out Olivia had miraculously been able to sneak away from work to go pick Elliot up.
It was early March, and from the window of her SUV it looked as if spring had peeked its head out and then decided it wasn't time to make its appearance yet. She was dressed for the part, wearing dark jeans, a soft v neck cardigan the exact blue of his eyes, and her favorite long peacoat. As she left her car in the airport parking garage she gave herself a once over, pleased with the way her sweater set off her cleavage. As she waited for the elevator her mind wandered, imagining Elliot undressing her, undoing her cardigan button by button, and she shivered at the possibility.
She reached international arrivals well after his flight had landed, but she hoped she’d still make it in time to see him come through the gates, knowing he’d need to collect his bags and get through customs before he’d be allowed back through security. She wasn’t sure how long that could take in the middle of a Thursday afternoon, but she wanted to be there waiting for him.
As she stopped in front of the security gates, she looked down at her phone to see if he’d messaged her. She'd just unlocked her screen when a familiar voice caught her ear.
“Liv!”
She looked up to see his familiar face rushing towards her. The nerves in her stomach settled, her mind went quiet, and all she could do was stuff her phone back in her pocket before he was in front of her. Dropping his bags he swept her up in his arms, burying his head in her neck.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered into her hair.
Her voice caught, hiccuping softly in response. She felt him press a chaste kiss into her neck and breathe in deeply. She nuzzled her nose into his sternum, letting his scent over take her.
“I missed you too. Welcome home El,” she murmured back, sinking even further into his hold.
Eventually, they separated and made the journey back to her car, carrying his twin duffle bags and bumping shoulders every few steps along the way. As they got to her car, she popped the trunk and deposited the bag she was carrying in the back. She turned to him, suddenly shy again.
Setting his bag down he looked around to find them tucked into a dark corner of the parking garage. Reaching out, he cupped her jaw and leaned down to give her a proper kiss. His lips slotted around hers, tongue seeking entry that she immediately granted. As he licked into her mouth, he picked her up and set her on the back of the trunk, desperate to have her as close as possible. He kept his hands on her, clutching her closer and closer to him as his mouth continued to plunder hers. His fingers were reaching for the seam between her jeans and sweater when the shrill beep of a car locking a row over reminded them of where they were. Elliot stepped back, adjusting himself.
“Sorry, I got a little carried away. I've been thinking about that for weeks,” he said sheepishly.
“Me too,” she grinned at him. Hopping down, she stepped back to close the lift gate. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“My new place I guess. You know how I mentioned that Kathleen’s been helping me furnish my place? Should be livable while I get everything moved in.”
“Well let’s go then,” she said, handing him her phone to punch in the address.
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The drive was short, traffic blissfully light in the middle of the day. It felt like mere moments later they had arrived and Oliva pulled into a spot out front of Elliot’s new apartment, wondering at the ease of street parking mid-day in Queens.
“Wanna come in and check it out? Or do you have to get back to work?” he asked hopefully.
“Yeah, I can come in for a bit,”. She said, killing the engine.
They grabbed his bags out of the trunk and he led them around the side of the building where he crouched down next to a gate. Picking up the lock box he twisted the dials until it popped open and then fished inside for a key ring. He opened the back gate and dragged his bags inside, holding the door open for her behind him.
Olivia stepped inside and took in the view. Inside the door was a small patio. A few pots sat haphazardly around the space, but the main focal point was a small balcony table with two patio chairs. Beyond that lay the sliding glass doors that Olivia assumed led to Elliot's apartment.
“This is beautiful El. It's so hard to get outdoor space in the city. It’ll be the perfect spot to sit outside and drink a coffee in the mornings.”
“And sit out at night with a drink in the summer,” he murmured, imagining her in a gauzy summer dress, turned towards him in her chair, legs tucked under herself and gesticulating with a half full glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
“That too,” she gave him a smile.
“Still a little too cold for that now though. Come on, I’ll show you inside,” he said, unlocking the patio doors and ushering her into the kitchen.
She stepped over the threshold and took in the space. It had an industrial feel, as if the apartment wasn’t fully finished, begging for more furniture or walls to break up the space. From what she could see from the kitchen it was sparsely furnished, just a large couch in the living room and a few barstools lined the island.
“This is a great space, El. I can see why you bought it. Does Eli have his own room?”
“Yeah, there are two bedrooms now, but there’s space for a third in the back. I plan on putting up some more walls, maybe a small office as well.”
“Wow. When did you get so handy?”
“I uh, I think maybe I mentioned this but I spent a few months putting up drywall down in Florida with my brother Randall after I left SVU. He owns a construction company down there, it’s where I headed after Kathy kicked me out… the time she kicked me out after Jenna.”
“Ah,” she nodded gently. “Glad you can finally put those muscles to work. What are you going to do with so much space?”
“Well I hope it won’t be just me and Eli forever.”
She turned sharply towards him, gaze piercing.
“Calm down, I’m not pushing you to move in yet. I just want you to know there’s space in case it's something that happens for us in the future. Plus I want Eli to feel comfortable here and have his own space even if he’s with Kathy most of the time.”
“A bit risky, assuming I’d ever move out of Manhattan for you.”
“Oh, so are you inviting me to move in with you?” He asked, his eyes twinkling.
She just gave him that look that he loved. The one that said, seriously? What am I going to do with you? But with a small little smile. She’d been giving him that look for years and he loved it every time.
“Come here, I’ll show you the bedroom.”
“You got a bed in there? Cause I could use a nap.”
“Oh there’s a bed. But sleeping’s not what I had in mind, Benson.”
“Mmhmm, well you’ll have to catch me first,” she said, darting around him, squealing as he reached out for her and missed her by a hair.
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Later, after he had caught her, scooped her up into his arms and deposited her on his bed. After he had stripped her bare, starting with the buttons on her cardigan and groaning at the way her breasts looked in the azure lace bra she was wearing underneath it. After he had fully reacquainted himself with her body, starting with the spot just between her breasts then nipping at the dip of her belly button and the soft pooch of her tummy before moving further south. After she had fallen apart once on his tongue and then again as she moved above him. After he’d followed her over the edge, pounding his hips furiously until he broke, shouting as his pleasure overtook him. After everything, they laid in bed, Olivia tucked under his arm, her head on his chest and his hand playing with the dark ends of her hair.
“Do you remember the first email I sent you?” she asked.
“You mean the first one that I got?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah Liv, I must have reread it a thousand times. I had been looking for a way to reach out to you again and then suddenly you were just… there in my inbox. I thanked God for listening to my prayers. You were upset about Noah and not having enough time for him and all I could think about was how proud I was that you were a mom… And how I was gonna tear apart the man who had left you alone to raise your son.”
“You never did think anyone was good enough for me.”
“You deserve someone who respects you, who knows what a treasure you are.”
“And are you that man?”
She seemed to have caught him off guard and he paused for a moment.
“I never thought anyone else was good enough for you. But I have plenty of doubts about being the man that deserves your love. I left you Liv, and I’m so sorry for that.”
“You can’t change the past El. But you’ve been here for me more than you know. Would I have even found Noah without you? Would it have had such a happy ending? Sheila was holding a gun on me, El. If you hadn’t tackled her, I don’t know how that would have played out.”
“You’ve been in worse situations by yourself and made it through the other side, Liv. You don’t need anyone to save you.”
“Yea, well, some situations I think I only made it out of alive because of the strength of your convictions. And I know I don’t need anyone to save me. But I’m beginning to realize that it’s okay to rely on someone else. It doesn’t make me any less of a mom or woman.”
“You know you’re an incredible mom Liv, right?”
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. Sometimes it feels like I’m letting Lucy raise him.”
“Yeah, I felt like that a lot with my older kids and Kathy. That she was the one raising them and I was just someone who occasionally slept there. But we were doing the best we could. And there’s that old saying that it takes a village. You’ve built a beautiful family for him from your squad, from Lucy, and hopefully my kids and I can help step in now too.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to feel like I’m doing the right thing. Especially when he’s so young.”
“You’re doing the best you can, and you’re giving him a stable, happy home life. He’s going to grow up wonderfully confident and he couldn’t ask for a better role model.”
“Wow,” she said, burying her face into his shoulder, embarrassed by the praise.
“I’m not just saying that Liv, it's the truth.” He pulled on her ear gently, “there’s something I’ve been wondering.”
“Whats that?”
“What other emails that you sent me that I didn’t get.”
“Ohh, El…”
“You don’t have to tell me. I just wish I could have read them. I wish I had gotten them at the time, and had known how much I should have been here.”
“Not all of them were a cry for help, you know. Sometimes I just wanted to tell you about the weather. Or some dumb prank that Munch had pulled. Or about Noah’s first steps… or how scared I was when he was in the hospital on breathing treatments as an infant. You were so much more than my work partner and when you were gone you left this big gaping hole that no one else could ever quite fill.”
He squeezed her harder in response.
“I’m so sorry Liv. I thought I was doing the right thing letting you go. That I’d be faithful to my wife and my family and that you’d blossom without me. But um, I’m beginning to see that maybe we’re bound together. That we can do great things apart, but together we’re unstoppable.”
Their conversation hit a lull, the two of them snuggling into each other. Eventually, Olivia raised her wrist to check the time.
“Do you have to go back to work?” he asked.
“I should check in. But they’ll call if they need me.”
“Lieutenant Benson, playing hookey? I like it,” he said grinning.
She swatted him playfully, “I took the afternoon off. I figured we’d want some time together.”
She returned her head to his chest and snuggled into him again.
“When are you seeing your family?”
“I’m supposed to go pick up Eli after soccer practice.” He lifted his watch, “In about an hour.”
She hummed in response.
“We were gonna pick up a pizza, would you want to join us?” he asked hopefully.
“Noah would love that.” She rose up to consider him, “but you better come to my place to eat it, I don’t think my back can handle sitting on the floor of your bare ass apartment.”
She dropped down to give him a kiss as he grabbed two handfuls of her behind.
He grinned up at her wolfishly, “Oh I’ll show you bare assed.”
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Later that evening, Elliot and Eli stopped by with a large half pepperoni, half veggie from Noah’s favorite pizza place Joe’s. They spread out in Olivia’s living room, both boys draped over the couch and Liv and Elliot sitting on her barstools, knees pressed up against each other. Elliot dished out the pizza with copious napkins and Liv put on the Land Before Time, Noah’s current obsession on account of the dinosaurs.
As the movie started to play, Olivia looked around at the scene she found herself in. Noah was hardly paying attention to the screen- still too entranced with Eli, thinking the older boy walked on water. Noah had practically become Eli’s shadow, and hung onto every word he had said since they arrived. He even went so far as mimicking how Eli ate his pizza with a knife and fork, which Eli explained with great gentleness was the “Italian way”. Eli, for his part, seemed to enjoy having someone look up to him, used to being the youngest of four older and very bossy older siblings.
And Elliot, oh Elliot. Over their years as partners and friends she’d rarely seen him this happy and relaxed. She kept glancing up to see him staring at her, smiling.
“What, do I have something on my face?” she stage whispered at him.
“No. No… It’s just so good to see you like this. To have our sons together. You look light Liv… happy. And I’m just so glad we all ended up here,” he said sincerely.
“Me too El. Me too. Now shh, I’m trying to watch the movie,” she said smiling at him.