First of all, I want to mention that Olivia is extremely out of character in this story, due to the pain meds she is taking. I also want to mention that this fic is rated M for adult situations, so please be aware of that before continuing to read.
I wanted to do a story kind of like "Monster" (one of the fics I posted last year) but a much lighter version of that, and with Amanda taking care of Olivia in a situation that they've never been in before. Since Liv is usually the one taking care of Amanda in my fics, I was eager to switch things up a bit and do something a little different.
This story takes place in the present time but Noah, Jesse and Frannie don't exist.
A big thank you to my friend and fellow author nightowldreams for coming up with the title of this fic, since I couldn't think of a good one. :)
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Amanda Rollins is curled up comfortably in bed, snoozing peacefully and enjoying her first good sleep in weeks, when a loud buzzing noise jerks her abruptly from slumber, the sound indicating that she has just received a text message on her phone. She lets out a muffled groan of annoyed exhaustion, pressing her face into the pillow and wondering why someone is texting her in the middle of the night when she is not on call and is not due to return to the precinct until Monday.
It is approaching two o'clock in the morning on Saturday and Amanda has been off work for an entire week now, due to a nasty case of the flu, and has just begun feeling more like herself again. She has the rest of the weekend to finish recovering and is planning on using every single second to do just that; not usually one to coddle herself and lay around watching television, but this illness having knocked her so thoroughly onto her ass that there were times she was unsure if the vomiting would ever stop and she would ever be able to get off the bathroom floor again.
Amanda figures that she needs to take advantage of the next couple of days of rest and relaxation, as she will very quickly be sucked back into the swing of things once she gets to the precinct on Monday morning and is enveloped in the usual misery and chaos that comes with working at the Special Victims Unit. She is just drifting off to sleep again, intending to make full use of the little amount of time she has left at home, when her phone buzzes for a second time and she remembers that she actually needs to look it, groaning once more as she rolls over and swipes the device from her nightstand with a clumsy hand.
Amanda sees that the text is from Olivia as she squints at the phone with half-open eyes, her irritation quickly turning to concern as she wonders if it's an emergency, Olivia not normally one for texting unless it is work-related. When she blinks rapidly in an effort to clear her fuzzy vision enough to focus properly on the screen, the message is definitely not what she has expected to read, her jaw dropping open in shock and briefly wondering if she is still asleep and caught up in some kind of bizarre dream.
The text is very short and to the point, only two words standing out on the glowing screen; a tiny sentence that Amanda would never in a million years have guessed that her boss would send to anyone, least of all her.
"I'm horny."
Amanda frowns deeply as she stares down at the device in her hand like she has never seen it before and the phone is some sort of alien object that has magically dropped down from another planet, chewing hard on her lower lip while she contemplates what to do before finally returning the message.
"Uhhh...I think you're texting the wrong person, Liv."
She feels a sharp spike of jealousy as she types out the hesitant reply and presses 'send', wishing they had the sort of relationship where it was normal for Olivia to write her this kind of suggestive and personal message, her gaze fixated on the screen and noticing that she gets an immediate response.
"This is Mandy Rollins, isn't it?"
"Yes, it's Amanda," she corrects with a furrowed brow, puzzled by the use of a childhood nickname that the lieutenant has never called her before.
"Well, then you're just the person I wanted to text."
Amanda rakes a trembling hand through her disheveled blonde hair and shakes her head in utter confusion, the barest trace of hope creeping into the perplexed doubt she is feeling, but knowing that something definitely isn't right with this situation and that she needs to get to the bottom of it.
"Liv, don't take this the wrong way, but are you drunk or something?"
"...or something," comes the swift reply, and Amanda frowns again, blowing out a shaky breath while she dials Olivia's number.
She is surprised when a male voice answers instead of her boss, immediately recognizing Carisi's distinctive tone and hearing the din of frantic activity in the background, the beeping of machines and the chatter of many people. "Hey, Amanda, sorry, I didn't realize Liv was texting you. I hope she didn't wake you up. Fin and I confiscated her phone when the nurse started the IV drip and she got a little loopy, but she somehow snuck it away from us."
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Carisi?" Amanda demands as the worry and confusion and simmering lust threatens to explode into outright fear. "What's going on? You guys are at the hospital?"
"Yeah, there was an incident with a suspect earlier and the lieu got hurt," Carisi explains hurriedly, Amanda sitting bolt upright in bed at her fellow detective's words and instant panic slicing through the last of her sleepy haze.
"What happened? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she just got a little banged up but she'll be fine." Carisi's voice has lowered to a more soothing tone, as if sensing just how frightened Amanda is by this news. "Some bumps and bruises, a strained shoulder and a broken wrist, and a small cut on her forehead that needed a few stitches to close. They've put a cast on and given her some pain meds to make her more comfortable. She was hurting quite a bit when we got here but seems to be doing better now. We're just waiting for the last of the medication to run through the IV and then she can be released. Fin and I are going to take her home and stay with her for the rest of the night to make sure she's okay and to help her out with anything she needs."
"You should have called me right away," Amanda chastises with no small amount of anger and frustration, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and wobbling into a standing position on limbs that are still trembling slightly from her ordeal with the flu.
"There's nothing you could have done," Carisi replies softly, a loud burst of female laughter coming through the phone and a grumble from Fin sounding in the background, Amanda tilting her head to the side and wondering if the girlish giggles had come from Olivia. "We were going to call you in the morning to let you know what happened. You're still recovering and we didn't want to bother you."
"You're not bothering me if our lieutenant gets hurt," she argues sourly, neglecting to mention that Olivia is so much more than just a boss to her; that her feelings for the other woman go far beyond even that of friendship. "I should be the one to stay with her in case she needs help with anything of a more personal nature. I can meet you guys at Liv's apartment after she's released or I can come pick her up from the hospital."
"Nah, just meet us at Liv's place, if you think you're feeling well enough to handle it and you're not contagious anymore. We can drive her there. You shouldn't be exposed to the germs of an emergency room after what you've just been through with the flu," Carisi says authoritatively, pausing slightly as another peal of laughter sounds near the phone, followed by an audible groan. "But just be warned, Liv isn't really herself right now. She's a little more, um...loud and affectionate and uninhibited...than usual."
"Yes, I've noticed," Amanda replies dryly, her tone apparently piquing Carisi's interest as he asks what was in the text message that Olivia had sent, and Amanda taking that as her cue to put a halt to this conversation since that is definitely not something she is eager to share. "Listen, just give me a call when you're on your way to Liv's place and I'll meet you there, okay? I hope to see you guys soon."
Amanda can hear an ear-piercing shriek of glee and Olivia's slurred voice begging to speak to "Mandy" just as she hangs up the phone, and she stands there stock still for a moment, wondering with slight trepidation at what she has just gotten herself into.
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"I'm so glad you're here, Mandy!"
Amanda is greeted with this very dramatic response from her boss as soon as she locks eyes with Olivia at the door to the older woman's apartment, the next words out of the lieutenant's mouth causing the two detectives and their sergeant to blush right to the roots of their hair. "I was afraid Fin or Carisi would have to see me naked!"
Amanda clears her throat, which has suddenly gone dry as a desert at the mental images her brain is currently conjuring up, trading puzzled glances with her co-workers. "Why would they see you naked?"
"I'm having trouble doing things because of this cast and my banged up shoulder and I really want to take a shower. Hospitals are so gross. I feel yucky," Olivia proclaims vehemently as she wobbles shakily on her feet and Amanda reaches out a hand to steady her, snaking an arm around a curvy waist and her heart clenching slightly inside her chest at the other woman's vulnerable appearance, Olivia looking quite worn out and roughed up.
"Uhhh, okay, we're going to leave that part to you, Amanda," Carisi says awkwardly, her colleague's somewhat panicked gaze darting away as they shuffle slowly into Olivia's apartment together and help their boss sit down carefully on the couch.
Amanda's lips twitch faintly at the ridiculousness and unfamiliarity of this scene; Olivia's uncharacteristic behavior as the older woman looks and sounds more like a petulant teenager than the leader of the Special Victims Unit, and the male members of their group who are practically choking on their extreme embarrassment of the situation. "I can appreciate how gross you feel, Liv. I know hospitals are full of germs and recycled air, but it might be better to wait on the shower until you're feeling a little better. Maybe you can just use a wet cloth to clean yourself up a bit. I can help you out, if you need me to."
"Are you offering to give me a sponge bath, Mandy?" Olivia's tone is low and slightly sultry now, Amanda's heart rate picking up the pace while she struggles to keep a neutral expression in the presence of her squad.
"'Manda, are you sure you're going to be able to handle things here? Are you okay with us leaving?" Fin coughs uneasily, the normally cool and unruffled older man appearing completely out of his element now, like he has no idea how to respond or proceed from here, and his first choice is to sprint right out the door to freedom.
"I can handle it," Amanda replies smoothly with a confidence that she doesn't quite feel, eyeing Olivia somewhat suspiciously as the brunette stares straight at her and runs her tongue very slowly around a plump set of lips. "Exactly how much pain medication did they give her, anyway? I've never seen her like this before."
"Well, I'm guessing it was just the normal amount," Carisi answers with a shrug, her fellow detective's face redder than Amanda has ever seen it and a toe of one shoe scrapping uncomfortably back and forth across the floor. "She's just not reacting very well to it."
"What are you talking about?" Olivia snarks from her slumped position on the couch, Amanda leaning over to prop a pillow underneath the older woman's cast to take some weight off of her broken wrist. "There's nothing wrong with the way I'm reacting. I'm fine. You're just being mean to me, Carisi."
Amanda has to hold in a sudden burst of laughter at the hurt expression that crosses her fellow detective's face, Carisi looking genuinely upset at his boss' immature words. "I'm not trying to be mean, Lieu," he explains plaintively, bending down to rest a hand on the older woman's uninjured shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. "I just know that you're not feeling too well right now and the medication is making you act a bit differently than what we're all used to."
"I feel great!" Olivia exclaims with an enthusiasm that directly contradicts the way she looks, a neat line of tiny stitches running close to her hairline and several small bruises dotting her cheeks, Amanda leaping forward to stop the brunette from waving her cast around in the air like she is intent on showing it off. "It doesn't even hurt, you know. I feel so good right now! Better than ever, in fact."
"Okay, Liv, we're glad you're feeling no pain at the moment but that's not likely to last," Amanda mutters with an affectionate shake of her head, a chuckle emitting from her mouth as she watches Olivia wiggle around on the cushions like a hyper toddler. "I think it's best if the guys head home and you and I try to get some sleep, alright? I can get you tucked into bed and then I'll stay here on the couch for the rest of the night. There's still a few hours until sunrise, so we should get some sleep."
"Amanda, are you sure you're going to be okay alone with her?" Carisi asks in a tone of quiet concern, the two men pulling Amanda aside so they can converse somewhat privately while still keeping Olivia in their sights. "We can stay, if you want us to. I know you're still not feeling one hundred percent after your bout with the flu, and it looks like she's going to be quite a handful while these pain meds are still in her system. The doc told us that she can take two Percocet every four hours as needed, so she might be behaving like this for awhile to come."
"I'm alright, Carisi," Amanda assures him, clasping her co-worker's forearm briefly before craning her neck to make sure Olivia is still on the couch and is behaving herself. "I was able to get a few hours of sleep tonight, which is more than I can say for you guys. You've been at the hospital all night and you should both go home and get some rest. I'll text you around lunchtime to give you an update on how things are going and if you want to stop by again, that would be great."
They chat for a few more minutes, Fin and Carisi filling Amanda in on everything she needs to know about Olivia's injuries and care and the amount of time it will take her to recover, their discussion regularly interrupted by the loud conversation that Olivia is having with herself on the couch, whatever is being talked about proving to be quite hilarious to the older woman. After a round of goodbyes is said and Fin and Carisi ask yet again if Amanda is going to be okay looking after Olivia alone, she busies herself with getting everything set up, emptying and organizing the stuff she had brought in her overnight bag, as well as all of the medical paraphernalia that has been sent home with Olivia from the hospital.
"Mandy, can you give me your opinion on something?"
"Hmm?" she murmurs distractedly, cursing under her breath when a bottle of narcotics slip from her grip and roll onto the floor, reaching over with a grunt to retrieve it. "Sure, Liv."
"What do you think of these?"
"Of what...? Shit, Olivia!" Amanda's jaw drops open when she whirls around to see her lieutenant standing there with her shirt pulled up to her chin, no bra in sight and bare breasts on display, smooth olive skin gleaming in the dim lighting of the living room and the bottle of medication promptly slipping from her grasp again.
"I was always really proud of them when I was younger, but now that I'm getting a bit older..." Olivia trails off in a doubtful tone, her nose wrinkling adorably as she contemplates the current state of her voluptuous chest. "Are they still nice? They're not quite as perky as they used to be."
"Uh, well, they're looking pretty damn perky to me," Amanda mumbles around the lump that is rising swiftly inside her throat, barely able to choke the words out as she struggles to look away from the alluring sight of her boss' stunning breasts, a fiery blush spreading rapidly across her pale cheeks.
"Really? You think so?" She watches as Olivia's fingers drift down to tweak her own nipples in an absent gesture, the other woman apparently lost in thought, dark eyes appearing hazy and muddled as she stares off into the distance.
"Liv, I'm going to have to ask you to stop doing that," Amanda sputters in desperation, her gaze remaining glued to the perfect mounds of soft flesh despite her attempts to look elsewhere, and a light sheen of sweat breaking out along her forehead. "Put your shirt down right now, please."
"I don't want to," Olivia replies with a pout, raising the garment so high that it is practically covering her face now, the older woman flapping the material back and forth in a quick motion with her uninjured hand. "It's hot in here."
"Well, I can help you get changed into a light pair of pajamas, then," Amanda offers rationally, although the thought of seeing Olivia in an even further state of undress causes a rush of moisture to pool at the juncture of her thighs, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as she tries to reign in her escalating desire.
"Can I tell you something?" Olivia whispers in a conspiratorial tone, slowly lowering the shirt over her breasts as Amanda experiences a strange combination of relief and disappointment.
"I don't know if I want to hear it," she blurts out honestly, at once curious and afraid of what Olivia is about to say.
"I don't normally wear pajamas at night," Olivia confesses in a hushed voice, clearly not paying attention to what Amanda has just said. "Usually when I get home from work, I just take my clothes off and stay like that for the evening. Sometimes after a long day at the precinct, I like to lie naked on my couch while I drink an entire bottle of wine."
"Wow...well, okay, then. Thank you for sharing that, Liv. It's nice to know that my lieutenant turns into a drunk nudist in her spare time." There is a hint of sarcasm in Amanda's response, mixed in with some concern at the amount of drinking her boss engages in, and more provocative mental images that she could definitely do without right now.
"Sometimes I even cook naked," Olivia continues with a shrug and a smile, her shirt pooling around her stomach as she lets go of the garment and allowing Amanda another peek at flawless olive skin. "You have to be really careful if you're going to do that, though. I've learned the hard way so many times." The brunette lets out a musical laugh, Amanda unable to remember a time where she has seen Olivia in such a lighthearted and carefree mood and wishing the present circumstances were not the result of narcotics. "I actually love being naked."
"Yes, I've noticed," she answers wryly, reaching out to gently pull Olivia's shirt the rest of the way down and thereby covering up every inch of smooth skin, her mind wandering into dangerous territory as she ruminates on just how comfortable the other woman is in her presence and wondering if there could be more than just a drug-induced reason for all of Olivia's unusual actions that night.
Amanda doesn't dare let her thoughts stray any further in a direction that they seem determined to head in more often than not lately, resolving to keep her mind out of the gutter and not get her hopes up when she considers that Olivia might actually feel something more for her than mere friendship. She knows that she needs to stay focused on taking care of the older woman in her time of need and that any discussion revolving around the possibility of deeper feelings would be beyond inappropriate at this time, deciding that she will be firm in her efforts to get Olivia tucked into bed for the night so her boss can have some time to rest instead of prancing around the apartment in a half-dressed, injured state.
Amanda opens her mouth to tell Olivia that it's time to get ready for bed and she will not listen to any arguments on the contrary, when the brunette begins speaking before she can get a word out, Amanda's heart leaping inside her chest at her loopy lieutenant's husky inquiry.
"I'm really hot and I still need to wash off the germs from the hospital, so what'll it be, Mandy? Are you going to help me take a shower or give me a sponge bath? Take your pick."